Methods and apparatus for managing spectrum allocation in wireless networks

ABSTRACT

Methods and apparatus for managing spectrum in a wireless communications system. In an exemplary method embodiment, a wireless base station: (i) receives user equipment capability information from a first user equipment device; (ii) determines whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device based on the received user equipment capability information; and (iii) communicates a first spectrum allocation grant to the first user equipment device identifying the allocated spectrum for use by the first user equipment device. In various embodiments, the licensed and unlicensed spectrum are divided into bandwidth parts that are scored or ranked based on the quality and/or quantity of the spectrum bandwidth part.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for managingspectrum allocation in wireless networks. Various features of thepresent invention relate to methods and apparatus for allocatinglicensed and unlicensed spectrum to mobile terminals also referred toherein as user equipment devices. Other features relate to methods andapparatus for allocating spectrum which has been divided or segmentedinto bandwidth parts to user equipment devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In a wireless network, wireless base stations (e.g., Citizens BroadbandRadio Service Devices (CBSDs) in Citizen Broadband Radio Service (CBRS)networks) serve as access points which can support wirelesscommunications with mobile terminals also referred to herein as userequipment devices (UEs). In some such wireless networks there aremultiple tiers defining what frequency spectrum bands may be used andthe amount of interface that the users may cause. In the CBRS wirelessnetwork for example there are three tiers. Tier 1 is an incumbent accesstier. Tier 2 is a Priority Access Tier. Tier 3 is General AuthorizedAccess tier. The Priority Access tier consists of Priority AccessLicenses (PALs) that are licensed by the government to operate in aspecific geographic area. With respect to the CBRS wireless system thePriority Access Licenses are on a county-by-county basis. Each PALconsisting of a 10 megahertz channel within the 3550-3650 MHz band.While the Priority Access Licenses must protect and accept interferencefrom Incumbent Access users such as for example, authorized federalusers in the 3550-3700 MHz band and Fixed Satellite Service(space-to-Earth) earth stations in the 3600-3650 MHz band, the PriorityAccess Licenses receive protection from General Authorized Access (GAA)users. The General Authorized Access tier is licensed-by-rule to permitopen, flexible access to the band with the intent of allowing access tothe widest possible group of potential users. While the GAA users arepermitted to operate throughout the 3550-3700 MHz band, GAA users mustnot cause harmful interference to Incumbent Access users or PriorityAccess Licensees. Furthermore, GAA users must accept interference fromthe Incumbent Access users and the Priority Access Licensees. Moreover,GAA users have no expectation of interference protection from other GAAusers.

In various instances, wireless service operators operate in a geographicarea as both PAL users and GAA users in which they utilize both licensedPAL spectrum and unlicensed open GAA spectrum. PAL spectrum is licensedand there is a cost associated with the PAL license. The PAL licensedspectrum is high quality since the PAL spectrum is clean in terms ofexcess interference. As previously mentioned, the PAL spectrum isprotected from interference from the GAA users. Furthermore, manywireless service providers are implementing there CBRS wireless networksas 5G (3rd Generation Partnership Project fifth generation wirelessnetworks). Currently, in 5G networks or spectrum also referred to asbandwidth is allocated by wireless base stations to each user equipmentdevice regardless of whether that spectrum is licensed (e.g., CBRS PALspectrum) or unlicensed (e.g., CBRS GAA spectrum).

Wireless service operators utilizing both PAL and GAA spectrum in thesame geographic area are currently faced with the technological problemof how to utilize PAL and GAA spectrum with very high utilization rates.

Some wireless networks, such as for example, CBRS networks, ofteninclude one or more wireless base stations (e.g., Citizens BroadbandRadio Service Devices (CBSDs)) with overlapping coverage areas in whichmultiple wireless service operators can operate. A wireless serviceoperator's wireless base stations (e.g., CBSDs) are used to provideservices to subscribers' user equipment devices. GAA spectrum is grantedto each of these wireless base station (e.g., CBSDs) using a centralizedresource allocation management device or system. In the CBRS network theresource allocation management device is called the Spectrum AccessSystem (SAS). The resource allocation management device, e.g., SpectrumAccess System in a CBRS network, is a central processing and databasesystem that receives and processes spectrum grant requests. In suchwireless networks, e. CBRS network, interference is managed throughpower management of wireless base station devices (e.g., CBSD devices)by the resource allocation management device, e.g., the Spectrum AccessSystem (SAS). The resource allocation management device (e.g., SAS)stores information regarding which wireless base station (e.g., CBSD)uses how much spectrum at which location in the wireless network, e.g.,CBRS network. When a specific amount of GAA spectrum is granted to aparticular wireless base station (e.g., CBSD) with a specifictransmission power, the resource allocation management device SAS)calculates the coverage of this wireless base station (e.g., CBSD) byusing a pre-determined path-loss model. The resource allocationmanagement device (e.g., SAS) manages monitors and manages theinterference caused by the different wireless base stations and adjuststhe transmission power of the different wireless base stations tominimize the interference while maximizing the utilization of thelimited frequency spectrum which is available. In some instances, theSAS grants one or more blocks of GAA spectrum to a wireless serviceoperator or provider for a particular area or location such as a countyor city and the service operator or provider operates a plurality ofbase stations in the particular area or location using the grantedspectrum and any PAL spectrum the service operator or provider haslicensed for the area or location.

From the above it should be understood that there is a need for newand/or improved methods and apparatus for using different tiers ofspectrum in wireless systems more efficiently and effectively.Furthermore, there is a need to determine when to allocate licensed vs.unlicensed spectrum to user equipment devices to optimize the use of awireless service operator or provider's spectrum. Additionally, there isa need for new and/or improved methods and apparatus for efficientlymanaging wireless spectrum to maximize the quality of service providedto subscribers. Furthermore, there is a need to solve the technologicalproblem of how to utilize both PAL and GAA spectrum in the samegeographic area with very high utilization rates. There is a furtherneed for new and/or improved methods and apparatus for assigning and/orallocating bandwidth parts based on user equipment type or terminal typeand/or traffic types in order to improve the quality of service beingprovided by a service operator/provider and/or maximize the efficiencyof the use of the available bandwidth.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for managingspectrum allocation in wireless networks. Various features of thepresent invention relate to methods and apparatus for allocatinglicensed and unlicensed spectrum to and among user equipment devices.Other features relate to methods and apparatus for allocating spectrumwhich has been divided or segmented into bandwidth parts to userequipment devices. Various embodiments of the present invention solveone or more of the problems discussed above.

In explaining the various features of the invention they will bediscussed in the context of examples where the base stations are 5G CBSDdevices in a CBRS network connected to a 5G core network. However, suchexamples are to facilitate understanding of the invention and it shouldbe appreciated that the methods and apparatus are not limited to CBRSembodiments, wireless base stations which are CBSDs, or resourceallocation management devices which are CBRS Spectrum Access Systems.Consider for example that the methods and apparatus can be used forother wireless systems which utilize different tiers of spectrum,licensed and unlicensed bandwidth, and/or bandwidth parts in theallocation and utilization of spectrum for communicating between basestation/access points and user equipment devices.

By using one or more of the techniques described herein a wireless basestation (e.g., Citizens Broadband Radio Service Device, Wi-Fi basestation, 5G network base station, gNB) can more efficiently andeffectively manage and utilize network spectrum than prior methods. Thisis an important objective for wireless service providers, equipmentmanufacturers and government regulator agencies such as for example theUnited States Federal Communications Commission (FCC). More efficientmanagement and usage of the wireless (e.g., CBRS) network spectrumincluding more efficient allocations of resources, e.g., frequencybandwidth allocations, results in, among other things, improved qualityof servicer and/or optimizations of bandwidth/spectrum usage for userequipment device and/or cost efficiencies for wireless serviceproviders. For example, service providers can in some instances makedeterminations as to which spectrum bandwidth parts should be assignedto which user equipment devices to maximize use of its licensed andunlicensed spectrum while meeting its quality of service agreements withits subscribers.

An exemplary communications method in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention includes the steps of: receiving user equipmentcapability information at a first wireless base station from a firstuser equipment device; determining, by the first wireless base station,whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first userequipment device based on the received user equipment capabilityinformation; and communicating a first spectrum allocation grant to thefirst user equipment device identifying the allocated spectrum for useby the first user equipment device.

In some embodiments, prior to determining whether to allocate licensedor unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device based on thereceived user equipment capability information, the communicationsmethod includes the step of receiving first spectrum availabilityinformation at the first wireless base station identifying the spectrumavailable for use by the first wireless base station.

In various embodiments, the communications method further includes thestep of dividing, by the first wireless base station, the identifiedspectrum available for use by the first wireless base station into aplurality of bandwidth parts, said plurality of bandwidth partsincluding at least one bandwidth part of licensed spectrum and at leastone bandwidth part of unlicensed spectrum. Each bandwidth part of saidplurality of bandwidth parts identifies a different contiguous set ofresource blocks.

In some embodiments, the first spectrum availability informationincludes the identification of spectrum bandwidth parts available foruse by the first wireless base station, each of said spectrum bandwidthparts identifying a contiguous set of resource blocks. In some suchembodiments, the first spectrum availability information includes both alicensed spectrum bandwidth part and an unlicensed spectrum bandwidthpart.

In various embodiments the first wireless base station and first userequipment device are part of a wireless network which supports bandwidthparts.

In some embodiments, the first wireless base station is a CitizensBroadband Radio Service Device (CBSD) which is part of a CitizenBroadband Radio Service (CBRS) network being operated by a first serviceprovider, the licensed spectrum is Priority Access License (PAL)spectrum licensed to said first service provider, and the unlicensedspectrum is General Authorized Access (GAA) spectrum granted for use bya Spectrum Access System of the CBRS network with which the firstwireless base station registered.

In various embodiments, the step of determining, by the first wirelessbase station, whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to thefirst user equipment device based on the received user equipmentcapability information further includes determining which licensed orunlicensed bandwidth part spectrum is available for use by the firstwireless base station to allocate to the first user equipment devicebased on a first user equipment capability score and a quality score ofthe licensed and unlicensed bandwidth part spectrum.

In some embodiments, the user equipment capability information includesone or more of the following: user equipment device type, user equipmentdevice power requirement, dominant traffic type consumed by userequipment device, user equipment hardware capability, user equipmentsoftware capability, user equipment device throughput capability, anduser equipment device latency requirement.

In some embodiments, the user equipment capability information includesa user equipment device category from which one or more user equipmentcapabilities can be derived. In some such embodiments, the one or moreuser equipment capabilities include one or more of the following: (i)user equipment device type, (ii) user equipment device powerrequirements, (iii) user equipment device hardware capability, (iv) userequipment device software capabilities, (v) dominant traffic typeconsumed by the user equipment device, (vi) throughput capability of theuser equipment device, (vii) latency requirements of the user equipmentdevice.

In various embodiments, the user equipment device type includes: (i)mobile phone type, (ii) appliance type (e.g., smart homedevice—thermostat, refrigerator, washer, dryer, television, securitysystem), vehicle, laptop, tablet, smartphone, and computer.

In various embodiments, the user equipment device power requirementsinclude a high power requirement, a mid-power power requirement, and alow power requirement. In some such embodiments, the low powerrequirement is a power requirement below a first threshold, the highpower requirement is a power requirement above a second threshold and amid-power requirement is a power requirement equal to or greater thanthe first threshold and less than or equal to the second threshold.

In various embodiments, the user equipment device hardware capabilityincludes one or more of the following capabilities: (i) single CPUhardware device, (ii) multi-core CPU hardware device, (iii) singleDigital Signal Processing device, (iv) multi-core Digital SignalProcessing device, (v) single Graphics Processing Unit device, and (vi)multi-core Graphics Processing Unit device, (vii) device hardwarerelease or version.

In various embodiments, the user equipment software capability includesone or more of the following: software release or version, type ofoperating system (e.g., iOS, android, release and/or version of device'soperating system.

In various embodiments, the user equipment throughput capabilityincludes: high throughput demand, mid-throughput demand, and lowthroughput demand. In some such embodiments, the low throughput demandis a throughput demand below a first throughput threshold, said highthroughput demand is a throughput demand above a second throughputthreshold and a mid-throughput demand is a throughput demand equal to orgreater than the first throughput threshold and less than or equal tothe second throughput threshold.

In various embodiments, the user equipment latency requirementcapability includes a set of latency requirements defined by a set ofthresholds which categorize very strict latency requirement devices,strict latency requirement devices, normal latency requirement devices,low latency requirement devices.

In some embodiments, the communications method includes the step of:generating, by the first wireless base station, the first user equipmentcapability score based on the user equipment capability informationreceived from the first user equipment device. The first user equipmentcapability score is a weighted factor sum of values assigned to each ofthe first user equipment device capabilities included in the userequipment capability information. In some embodiments, the step ofgenerating the first user equipment capability score based on the userequipment capability information received from the first user equipmentdevice includes performing the following summation: W1 user equipmentcapability 1+W2 user equipment capability 2+W3 user equipment capability3+W4 user equipment capability 4; wherein user equipment capability 1 isa numerical value assigned to the first user equipment capabilityincluded in the user equipment capability information received from thefirst user equipment device and wherein W1 is a numerical valueweighting factor assigned for the first user equipment capability;wherein user equipment capability 2 is a numerical value assigned to thesecond user equipment capability included in the user equipmentcapability information received from the first user equipment device andwherein W2 is a numerical value weighting factor assigned for the seconduser equipment capability; wherein user equipment capability 3 is anumerical value assigned to the third user equipment capability includedin the user equipment capability information received from the firstuser equipment device and wherein W3 is a numerical value weightingfactor assigned for the third user equipment capability; wherein userequipment capability 4 is a numerical value assigned to the fourth userequipment capability included in the user equipment capabilityinformation received from the first user equipment device and wherein W4is a numerical value weighting factor assigned for the fourth userequipment capability; and wherein the user equipment capabilityinformation includes at least four user equipment device capabilities.

In various embodiments, the communications method includes the step of:generating, by the wireless base station, a quality score of thelicensed and unlicensed spectrum bandwidth parts based on a bandwidthpart's spectrum type, number of user equipment devices allocated to thebandwidth part by the first wireless base station, and spectruminterference information for the bandwidth part spectrum.

In some embodiments the quality score of the licensed and unlicensedbandwidth parts is further based on the number of times that a spectrumbandwidth part has been granted to a base station for use in ageographical area in which the first wireless base station is operating(e.g., by a SAS device (PAL licenses are not granted by SAS devices andare therefore more valuable than GAA granted spectrum as they have lessinterference due to less base stations using the spectrum, the secondmost valuable are GAA spectrum that have the lowest number of grants towireless base stations as that indicates there are less base stationsusing the spectrum and therefore less interference.

In some embodiments, the communications method includes the step of:receiving, at the first wireless base station, spectrum interferenceinformation for the spectrum available for use by the first wirelessbase station.

In various embodiments, prior to communicating the first spectrumallocation grant to the first user equipment device identifying theallocated spectrum for use by the first user equipment device, thewireless base station performs the operations of: (i) allocatingbandwidth part spectrum for use by the first user equipment device basedon rankings of available spectrum, said available spectrum having beensegmented into separate bandwidth parts of contiguous resource blocksand the ranking of the first user equipment device based on the userequipment capability information, and (ii) sending bandwidth partconfiguration information to the user equipment device. The step ofallocating bandwidth part spectrum for use by the first user equipmentdevice based on rankings of available spectrum which has been segmentedinto separate bandwidth parts of contiguous resource blocks and the userequipment capability information received in some embodiments includes:matching user equipment capability information for the first userequipment device to a bandwidth part spectrum based on the ranking ofthe bandwidth part spectrum.

In some embodiments, the ranking of said bandwidth part spectrum isbased on spectrum type of bandwidth part, amount of spectrum included inthe bandwidth part, number of user equipment devices to which thebandwidth part has been allocated by the wireless base station, spectruminterference information for the bandwidth part. In some embodiments,the spectrum type is priority access license bandwidth type and generalauthorized access bandwidth type; and the bandwidth part spectrum ofpriority access license bandwidth type is ranked higher than generalauthorized access bandwidth type. In some embodiments the step ofranking the bandwidth parts of the spectrum available for use by thefirst wireless base station includes normalizing different spectrumbandwidth parts when spectrum bandwidth parts of different sizes (e.g.,10 MHz PAL spectrum vs. 20 MHz GAA spectrum) are available for use.

The present invention is also applicable to apparatus and systemembodiments wherein one or more devices implement the steps of themethod embodiments. In some apparatus embodiments each of the wirelessbase stations, CBSDs, user equipment devices, mobile terminal, resourceallocation management devices, SAS devices, Session Management Functiondevices, Policy Control Function devices, and each of the otherapparatus/devices/nodes of the system include one or more processorsand/or hardware circuitry, input/output interfaces including receiversand transmitters, and a memory. The memory including instructions whenexecuted by one or more of the processors control the apparatus/deviceof the system to operate to perform the steps and/or functions ofvarious method embodiments of the invention.

The present invention is also applicable to and includes apparatus andsystems such as for example, apparatus and systems that implement thesteps and/or functions of the method embodiments. For example, acommunication system in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention includes a wireless base station including: a memory, and aprocessor that controls the wireless base station to perform thefollowing operations: receiving user equipment capability informationfrom a first user equipment device; determining whether to allocatelicensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device basedon the received user equipment capability information; and communicatinga first spectrum allocation grant to the first user equipment deviceidentifying the allocated spectrum for use by the first user equipmentdevice.

In some embodiments, the processor further controls the wireless basestation to perform the additional operation of: prior to determiningwhether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first userequipment device based on the received user equipment capabilityinformation, receiving first spectrum availability information at thefirst wireless base station identifying the spectrum available for useby the first wireless base station.

In some embodiments, the processor further controls the wireless basestation to perform the additional operation of: dividing, by the firstwireless base station, the identified spectrum available for use by thefirst wireless base station into a plurality of bandwidth parts, saidplurality of bandwidth parts including at least one bandwidth part oflicensed spectrum and at least one bandwidth part of unlicensedspectrum. In some embodiments, each bandwidth part of said plurality ofbandwidth parts identifies a different contiguous set of resourceblocks. In some embodiments, the first spectrum availability informationincludes the identification of spectrum bandwidth parts available foruse by the first wireless base station, each of said spectrum bandwidthparts identifying a contiguous set of resource blocks. In someembodiments, the first spectrum availability information includes both alicensed spectrum bandwidth part and an unlicensed spectrum bandwidthpart.

In various embodiments, the wireless base station is part of a wirelessnetwork and the first user equipment device which supports bandwidthparts.

In some embodiments, the wireless base station is a Citizens BroadbandRadio Service Device (CBSD) which is part of a Citizen Broadband RadioService (CBRS) network being operated by a first service provider, andthe licensed spectrum is Priority Access License (PAL) spectrum licensedto said first service provider; and the unlicensed spectrum is GeneralAuthorized Access (GAA) spectrum granted for use by a Spectrum AccessSystem of the CBRS network with which the first wireless base stationregistered.

In some embodiments, the operation of determining, by the wireless basestation, whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to thefirst user equipment device based on the received user equipmentcapability information further includes determining which licensed orunlicensed bandwidth part spectrum which is available for use by thewireless base station to allocate to the first user equipment devicebased on a first user equipment capability score and a quality score ofthe licensed and unlicensed bandwidth part spectrum. The user equipmentcapability information, may and in some embodiments does, include one ormore of the following: user equipment device type, user equipment devicepower requirement, dominant traffic type consumed by user equipmentdevice, user equipment hardware capability, user equipment softwarecapability, user equipment device throughput capability, and userequipment device latency requirement.

The present invention is also directed to non-transitory computerreadable medium embodiments. In an exemplary non-transitory computerreadable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium includes afirst set of computer executable instructions which when executed by aprocessor of a wireless base station cause the wireless base station toperform the steps of: receiving user equipment capability informationfrom a first user equipment device; determining whether to allocatelicensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device basedon the received user equipment capability information; and communicatinga first spectrum allocation grant to the first user equipment deviceidentifying the allocated spectrum for use by the first user equipmentdevice.

While various embodiments have been discussed in the summary above, itshould be appreciated that not necessarily all embodiments include thesame features and some of the features described above are not necessarybut can be desirable in some embodiments. Numerous additional features,embodiments and benefits of various embodiments are discussed in thedetailed description which follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless network, e.g., CitizensBroadband Radio Service network, system 100 that provides wirelesscommunications services in accordance one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a diagram of General Authorized Access Spectrum andPriority Access License Spectrum.

FIG. 3 illustrates the combination of FIGS. 3A and 3B.

FIG. 3A illustrates the steps of the first part of an exemplary methodin accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B illustrates the steps of the second part of an exemplary methodin accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates details of an exemplary wireless base station (e.g.,Citizens Broadband Radio Service Device (CBSD)) in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates details of an exemplary User Equipment (UE) device inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates details of an exemplary computing device, e.g., aresource allocation management device (e.g., Spectrum Access Systemdevice (SAS)), Session Management Function device, a Policy ControlFunction device in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary assembly of components for a wirelessbase station (e.g., CBSD) in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary assembly of components for a userequipment device in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary assembly of components for a computingdevice, e.g., a resource allocation management device (e.g., SASdevice), a session management function device, a policy control functiondevice in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates the combination of FIGS. 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E,10F, 10G, and 10H.

FIG. 10A illustrates the steps of the first part of an exemplary methodin accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10B illustrates the steps of the second part of an exemplary methodin accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10C illustrates the steps of the third part of an exemplary methodin accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10D illustrates the steps of the fourth part of an exemplary methodin accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10E illustrates the steps of the fifth part of an exemplary methodin accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10F illustrates the steps of the sixth part of an exemplary methodin accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10G illustrates the steps of the seventh part of an exemplarymethod in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10H illustrates the steps of the eighth part of an exemplary methodin accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary system in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates a user equipment device providing user equipmentcapability information to a wireless base station shown as a CBSD inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 illustrates Priority Access License spectrum which has beendivided or partitioned into 20 MHz portions and ranked and GeneralAuthorized Access spectrum which has been divided or partitioned into 20MHz portions and ranked in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 14 illustrates a wireless base station which is a CBSD whichcommunicates allocated different spectrum bandwidth parts to a pluralityof user equipment devices.

FIG. 15 is a table illustrating user equipment device group rankingsbased on user equipment capabilities in accordance with one embodimentof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The current invention is applicable to communications networks/systemssuch as for example, Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) networksand 5G networks, that provide wireless communications services. Thepresent invention relates to methods, systems and apparatus thatimplement bandwidth management of wireless spectrum. In variousembodiments, the bandwidth is separated into different types based onvarious metrics regarding the bandwidth characteristics, e.g., qualityof the bandwidth such as interference, and then ranked. Bandwidth partallocation is then used utilized to allocate or assign the optimumbandwidth part to each wireless user terminal in the network by thewireless base station.

For explanatory purposes various features of the current invention willbe explained using a 5G CBRS wireless network. However, as alsoexplained above a CBRS wireless network is merely an exemplary wirelessnetworks in which the invention may be implemented.

Citizens Broadband Radio Service networks are networks that include userequipment devices, e.g., mobile or wireless devices such as for examplecell phones, smart phones, laptops, tablets, Citizens Broadband RadioService Devices (CBSDs) which serve as access points/base stations, andSpectrum Access Systems which are resource allocation management devicesthat provide spectrum assignments and manage frequency interferencethrough power management of the wireless base stations (CBSDs)transmission power. The Citizens Broadband Radio Service networkutilizes 150 megahetz in the 3550-3700 MHz band referred to as the 3.5GHz Band. One important aspect of the CBRS network is the limitation ofinterference, e.g., radio transmission, from multiple transmissionsources, e.g., multiple CBSD devices located near each other or in closeproximity to one another. The CBRS network includes resource allocationmanagement devices referred to as Spectrum Access Systems that obtaininformation about registered or licensed commercial users in the 3.5 GHzband from FCC databases and information about federal incumbent users ofthe band from ESC (Environmental Sensing Capability) system and interactdirectly or indirectly with CBSDs operating in the band to ensure thatCitizens Broadband Radio Service users operate in a manner consistentwith their authorizations and promote efficient use of the spectrumresource. Among the Spectrum Access System functions as defined in theAmendment of the Commission's Rules with Regard to Commercial Operationsin the 3550-3650 MHz Band released Apr. 21, 2015 are that: it determinesthe available frequencies at a given geographic location and assign themto CBSDs; it determines the maximum permissible transmission power levelfor CBSDs at a given location and communicates that information to theCBSDs; it registers and authenticates the identification information andlocation of CBSDs; it enforces exclusion and protection zones, includingany future changes to such Zones, to ensure compatibility betweenCitizens Broadband Radio Service users and incumbent federal operations;it protects Priority Access Licensees (PAL) from impermissibleinterference from other Citizens Broadband Radio Service users such asthe General Authorized Access users; ensures secure and reliabletransmission of information between the SAS, ESC, and CBSDs; and itfacilitates coordination and information exchange between SASs. Throughthe management of the CBSDs power transmission levels in a geographicalarea the SAS manages the radio interference in the geographical area.

CBRS networks may be, and in many embodiments are, implemented inaccordance with 5G network standards. 5G new radio covers a firstfrequency range from 410 MHz to 7.125 GHz and a second frequency rangefrom 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz. The first frequency range is inclusive ofthe CBRS frequency spectrum range discussed above.

Currently, in 5G networks bandwidth or spectrum is allocated or assignedto each user equipment device or mobile user device regardless ofwhether the spectrum is licensed or unlicensed. The 3GPP 5G networkstandards do not partition bandwidth based on traffic or user type. The3GPP 5G standards however do have a bandwidth parts feature in which aset of contiguous resource blocks are configured in a channel bandwidth.

The 5G NR; Physical channels and modulation (3GPP TS 38.211 version16.2.0 Release 16) specification which was released by ETSI (EuropeanTelecommunications Standards Institute in July 2020 is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety. This specification describesthe 5G New Radio feature of bandwidth parts.

As explained in the 3GPP TS 38.211 version 16.2.0 Release 16specification section 4.4.5 a bandwidth part is a subset of contiguouscommon resource blocks defined for a given numerology on a givencarrier. “A user equipment device (UE) can be configured with up to fourbandwidth parts in the downlink with a single downlink bandwidth partbeing active at a given time. The UE is not expected to receive PDSCH,PDCCH, or CSI-RS (except for RRM) outside an active bandwidth part. A UEcan be configured with up to four bandwidth parts in the uplink with asingle uplink bandwidth part being active at a given time. If a UE isconfigured with a supplementary uplink, the UE can in addition beconfigured with up to four bandwidth parts in the supplementary uplinkwith a single supplementary uplink bandwidth part being active at agiven time. The UE shall not transmit PUSCH or PUCCH outside an activebandwidth part. For an active cell, the UE shall not transmit SRSoutside an active bandwidth part.” The 3GPP TS 38.213 V16.5.0 (2021-03)3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group RadioAccess Network; NR; Physical layer procedures for control (Release 16)which is also herein incorporated by reference in its entirety furtherdescribes the operation of the bandwidth parts in 5G New Radio.

Bandwidth part allocation is in an important feature in 3GPP 5Gstandards, and its main purpose is to conserve the battery life ofmobile devices.

Various embodiments of the present invention utilize the bandwidth partsfeature to partition the bandwidth available to a wireless serviceoperator in a geographical region into a plurality of differentbandwidth parts. The different bandwidth parts are characterized andthen allocated or assigned for use to different user equipment devicesbased on one or more factors including bandwidth part availability,bandwidth part characteristics, user equipment device characteristics,and/or communications session traffic type in order to improve thequality of service provided to the wireless operator's subscribers andmake more efficient and effective use of the wireless operator'savailable bandwidth. The user equipment device characteristics includethe device type, device version, operating system type, operating systemversion, software version, power requirements, hardware characteristicsincluding hardware capabilities, latency requirements, throughputcapabilities. The 3GPP TS 25.306 V16.1.0 (2020-09) 3rd GenerationPartnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network;UE Radio Access capabilities (Release 16) which was released inSeptember 2020 includes a set of user equipment categories which in someembodiments used to determine various characteristics about a userequipment device which is being serviced by a wireless base station. The3GPP TS 25.306 V16.1.0 (2020-09) 3rd Generation Partnership Project;Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; UE Radio Accesscapabilities (Release 16) is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

Diagram 200 of FIG. 2 illustrates General Authorized Access (GAA)Spectrum and Priority Access License (PAL) Spectrum. CBRS GAA Spectrum202 includes the GAA spectrum chunk 204 granted to the first wirelessoperator/service provider for a first geographical area, e.g., when awireless base station located in the first geographical area, e.g.,CBSD, belonging to the first wireless operator/service providerregisters with the Spectrum Access System. CBRS PAL spectrum 212includes the PAL spectrum 214 licensed by the first wirelessoperator/service provider in the first geographical area. The GAAspectrum granted to the first wireless operator/service provider hasbeen segmented/divided/partitioned into three bandwidth parts—bandwidthpart 1 (BWP 1) 206, bandwidth part 2 (BWP 2) 208, and bandwidth part 3(BWP 3) 210. The PAL spectrum licensed by the first wirelessoperator/service provider has been divided/segmented/partitioned intotwo bandwidth parts—bandwidth part 4 (BWP 4) 216 and bandwidth part 5(BWP 5) 218. The first wireless operator/service provider's wirelessbase station in the first geographical area can utilize all of thesedifferent bandwidth parts to provide wireless services to user equipmentdevices. The present invention describes methods, apparatus and systemfor scoring, ranking and/or prioritizing the bandwidth parts of theavailable different tiers of spectrum (e.g., GAA tier spectrum (which isunlicensed spectrum) and PAL tier spectrum (licensed spectrum)) andscoring, ranking and/or prioritizing user equipment devices capabilitiesand usage so as to be able to find an optimal or best fit match betweenuser equipment devices' capabilities and usages and the availablebandwidth part spectrum.

A high level discussion of the invention will now be presented inconnection with FIGS. 11, 12, 13 and 14 . Diagram 1170 of FIG. 11illustrates an exemplary system in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention. Spectrum Access System 1172 communicates spectrumgrant information to a Policy Control Function device 1174 located in a5G core network 1173 of a first service provider upon the registrationof the CBSD 1176 which is also operated by the first service provider.The spectrum grant information identifies General Availability Accessspectrum or bandwidth which the CBSD 1176 may use for providing wirelessservices to user equipment devices. The Spectrum Access System 1172 alsoprovides spectrum interference information to the Policy ControlFunction device 1174. The Policy Control Function device 1174 alsocontains information on the Priority Access License spectrum which thefirst service provider has licensed in the geographical area of the CBSD1176. In some embodiments, the Policy Control Function 1174 obtainedthis information from the Spectrum Access System 1172 while in otherembodiments it is obtained from a database which includes thisinformation. The Policy Control Function 1174 hence has knowledge ofboth the General Authorized Access (GAA) spectrum and the PriorityAccess Licensed (PAL) spectrum which is available for use by the CBSD1176. The Policy Control Function device 1174 communicates informationidentifying the PAL spectrum and GAA spectrum available for use by theCBSD 1176 to the CBSD 1176. In some embodiments, the Policy ControlFunction device 1174 divides or partitions the granted GAA spectrum orlicensed PAL spectrum which may be, and sometimes is granted or licensedas a large block of spectrum, into smaller portions or blocks ofspectrum. In some embodiments, the Policy Control Function device 1174then ranks the partitioned or divided spectrum portions based oncharacteristics of the spectrum portions such as interference, e.g., usethe spectrum interference information provided by the Spectrum AccessSystem 1172.

Diagram 1300 of FIG. 13 illustrates Priority Access License spectrumwhich has been divided or partitioned into 20 MHz portions and rankedand General Authorized Access spectrum which has been divided orpartitioned into 20 MHz portions and ranked in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. Apportionment of the GeneralAuthorized Access spectrum may occur at the Spectrum Access System 1172,the Policy Control Function device 1174 and/or the CBSD 1176, i.e., eachof these devices may perform some form of apportionment of the GeneralAuthorized Access spectrum which has been granted the CBSD 1176 tocommunicate with the user equipment devices it is servicing. Withrespect to the PAL spectrum the Policy Control Function device 1174and/or the CBSD 1176 perform the apportionment of the PAL spectrum. Indiagram 1300 of FIG. 1300 , 80 MHz of PAL spectrum has been licensed bythe first service provider. This chunk of 80 MHz of spectrum has beensub-divided or partitioned in four 20 MHz portions or chunks. PAL 1:0-20 MHz, PAL 2: 20-40 MHz, PAL 3: 40-60 MHz and PAL 4: 60-80 MHz. 0 MHzbeing the starting point of the 80 MHz of PAL licensed spectrum with theother MHz values being offsets. In diagram 1300 of FIG. 1300 , alsoshown is 100 MHz of GAA spectrum which has been granted for use forfirst service provider's CBSD 1176. This chunk of 100 MHz of spectrumhas been sub-divided or partitioned in five 20 MHz portions or chunks.GAA 1: 0-20 MHz, GAA 2: 20-40 MHz, GAA 3: 40-60 MHz, GAA 4: 60-80 MHzand GAA 5: 80-100 MHz. 0 MHz being the starting point of the 100 MHz ofGAA granted spectrum with the other MHz values being offsets. Diagram1300 of FIG. 13 also shows the ranking of the different portions of PALspectrum and GAA spectrum. In this diagram the PAL and GAA spectrum havebeen ranked separately. In some embodiments, the PAL and GAA spectrumportions are not ranked separately, i.e., a single spectrum ranking listis generated for all spectrum portions regardless of whether thespectrum portion is a PAL spectrum portion or a GAA spectrum portion. Invarious embodiments, the spectrum portions are ranked by the CBSD 1176which receives the GAA spectrum grant information, the PAL availabilityinformation and spectrum interference information from the PolicyControl Function device 1174. The ranking of the PAL spectrum chunks isperformed so that the most valuable PAL spectrum chunks are the PALspectrum chunks with the lowest interference and the smallest number ofuser equipment devices. The most valuable GAA spectrum chunks which areranked the highest are the ones which have been granted the lowestnumber of times.

Diagram 1200 of FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary user equipment device1202 communicating its user equipment capability information to CBSD1176. The user equipment capability information includes user equipmenttype, power requirements, dominate traffic type consumed by the userequipment device, hardware capability, and software capability.

Diagram 1400 of FIG. 14 illustrates how CBSD 1176 allocating bandwidthpart spectrum to user equipment devices UE 1 1202, UE 2 1204, UE 1206,and UE 1208. The bandwidth part spectrum is allocated based on the userequipment capability information received from each of the userequipment devices UE 1, UE 2, UE 3, and UE 4 and the ranking of thebandwidth spectrum portions. The CBSD 1176 matching each user equipmentdevice's user equipment capabilities to the best fit or optimalbandwidth part spectrum. A bandwidth part being a contiguous set ofresource blocks. The CBSD communicates the allocated spectrum bandwidthpart to each of the user equipment devices. PAL 1: Bandwidth Part 1 isallocated and communicated to UE 1 1202. PAL 2: Bandwidth part 2 isallocated and communicated to UE 2 1204. GAA 1: Bandwidth part 3 isallocated and communicated to UE 3 1206. GAA 5: Bandwidth part 4 isallocated and communicated to UE 4 1208.

A more detailed discussion of the various system, method and apparatusembodiments of the present invention will now be discussed.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary communications system 100 having anarchitecture implemented in accordance with the present invention. Inthis example the communications system includes a first service providercore network 150 and a 5G CBRS wireless network. The communicationssystem 100 includes a plurality of wireless base stations (WBS 1 (e.g.,Citizens Broadcast Radio Service Device (CBSD) 1 102, WBS 2 (e.g., CBSD2) 104, and WBS 3 (e.g., CBSD 3) 111), a resource allocation managementdevice (RAMD 1)(e.g., Spectrum Access System device 1 (SAS 1)) 106, aRAMD 2 (e.g., SAS 2) 107, databases of commercial users/licenses (e.g.,an FCC Database) 103, an Environmental Sensing Capability (e.g., FederalIncumbent Use) (ESC)) system 105, a plurality of user equipment (UE)devices UE 1 110, UE 2 112, . . . , UE N 114, UE 4 116, UE 5 118, UE 6120, UE 7 122, UE 124, . . . , UE X 126, communications links 128, 138,140, 160, 162, 164, . . . , 166, 168, 170, 172, 174, . . . , 176, 178,180, 181, 182, 184, a first cell 108 illustrating the first basestation's 102 coverage area, a second cell 109 illustrating the secondbase station's 104 coverage area, and a third cell 113 illustrating thethird base station's 111 coverage area.

The first cell 108 of the network is serviced by the WBS 1 (e.g., CBSD1) 102. The first cell 108 illustrates the wireless coverage range ofWBS 1 (e.g., CBSD 1) 102 at a first time T1. The user equipment devicesalso sometimes referred to as user terminal devices UE 1 110, UE 2 112,. . . , UE N 114 (N being an integer greater than 2) are located in thefirst cell 108 and are in active wireless communications with WBS 1(e.g., CBSD 1) 102. Communications links 168, 164, and 166 illustratewireless communications channels, e.g., radio channels, over which WBS 1(e.g., CBSD 1) 102 and UE 1 110, UE 2 112, . . . , UE N 114 communicaterespectively.

The second cell 109 of the wireless network is serviced by WBS 2 (e.g.,CBSD 2) 104. The second cell 109 illustrates the wireless coverage rangeof WBS 2 (e.g., CBSD 2) 104 at the first time T1. The user equipmentdevices UE 6 120, UE 7 122, UE 8 124, . . . , UE X 126 (X being aninteger greater than 3) are located in a second cell 109 and are incommunication with WBS 2 (e.g., CBSD 2) 104. Communications links 170,172, 174, . . . , 176 illustrate wireless communications channels, e.g.,radio channels, over which WBS 2 (e.g., CBSD 2) 104 and UE 6 120, UE 7122, UE 8 124, . . . , UE X 126 communicate respectively.

The third cell 113 of the wireless network is serviced by WBS 3 (e.g.,CBSD 3) 111. The third cell 113 illustrates the wireless coverage rangeof WBS 3 (e.g., CBSD 3) 111 at the first time T1. The user equipmentdevices UE 4 116 and UE 5 118 are located in a third cell 113 and are incommunication with WBS 3 (e.g., CBSD 3) 111. Communications links 160,162 illustrate wireless communications channels, e.g., radio channels,over which WBS 3 (e.g., CBSD 3) 111 and UE 4 116, UE 5 118, communicaterespectively.

Resource Allocation Management Device (RAMD) 1 (e.g., SAS 1) 106 iscoupled to Resource Allocation Management Device (RAMD) 2 (e.g., SAS 2)107 via communications link 178. RAMD 1 (e.g., SAS 1) 106 is coupled todatabases 103 via communications link 180. RAMD 2 (e.g., SAS 2) 107 iscoupled to databases 103 via communications link 181. ESC system 105 iscoupled to RAMD 1 (e.g., SAS 1) 106 and RAMD 2 (e.g., SAS 2) 107 viacommunications links 182 and 184. The ESC system is used to detect,sense Navy radar operations in the wireless bands utilized forcommunications in the wireless network, e.g., in CBRS networks the ESCdetects or senses Navy radar operation within 3550-3650 MHz near thecoasts, and provide notifications over the communications links to RAMD1 (e.g., SAS 1) 106 and RAMD 2 (e.g., SAS 2) 107. RAMD 1 (e.g., SAS 1)106 manages the WBS 1 (e.g., CBSD 1) 102, WBS 2 (e.g., CBSD 2) 104, andWBS 3 (e.g., CBSD 3) 111 spectrum allocation and transmission power tolimit interference in the wireless network (e.g., CBRS wirelessnetwork). RAMD 2 (e.g., SAS 2) 107 manages other wireless base stations(e.g., CBSDs) in the wireless network which are not shown in FIG. 1 .Resource Allocation Management Device 1 (e.g., SAS 1) 106 and ResourceAllocation Management Device 2 (e.g., SAS 2) 107 communicate and shareinformation regarding the wireless network coverage of the wireless basestations (e.g., CBSDs) each respectively manage and coordinatemanagement of the allocation of spectrum and power transmission levelsof wireless base stations (e.g., CBSDs) throughout the wireless network.While only two Resource Allocation Management Devices (e.g., SASdevices) are shown in FIG. 1 it should be understood that additionalResource Allocation Management Devices (e.g., SAS devices) are typicallyused in the wireless network (e.g., CBRS network). The WBS 1 102, WBS 2104, and WBS 3 111 are coupled and/or connected to the RAMD 1 106 viacommunications links 138, 140, and 183 respectively. The RAMD 1 106 iscoupled to the first service provider's core network via communicationslink 149.

WBS 1 102 is coupled and/or connected to the first service provider corenetwork 150 via communications link 128. WBS 2 104 is coupled to firstservice provider core network 150 via communications link 148. WBS 1 102and WBS 2 104 are owned and/or operated by the first service provider.WBS 3 111 is not owned or operated by the first service provider and isnot connected to the first service provider's core network. WBS 3 111 isowned by a second service provider and is connected to the secondservice provider's core network 150 is not shown.

The nodes, devices and elements of the first service providers corenetwork 150 are interconnected via a communications network includingcommunications links which allow the various nodes, devices and elementsof the first service providers core network 150 to communicate andexchange information and data.

The first service provider's core network 150 in this exemplaryembodiment is a 5G network including a session management functiondevice 152 and a policy control function device 154. The sessionmanagement function device 152 includes at least a session managementfunction but may, and in some embodiments does, include and/or performother functions. The policy control function device 154 includes apolicy control function but may, and in some embodiments does, includeand/or perform other functions, e.g., a security gateway function. Insome embodiments, the policy control function 154 and session managementfunction 152 are implemented as nodes.

The communications links 128, 138, 140, 148, 149, 178, 180, 181, 182,and 183 as well as the communications links coupling together theelements of the core network 150 are typically wired communicationslinks or fiber optic cables. The communications links 160, 162, 164,166, 168, 170, 172, 174 and 176 are wireless or over the aircommunications links. It is to be understood that the communicationlinks shown in system 100 are only exemplary and other networkconfigurations and communications links may be employed that coupletogether the devices, servers, nodes, entities, databases andcontrollers of the system. Elements or steps with the same referencenumbers used in different figures are the same or similar and thoseelements or steps will not be described in detail again.

While for the sake of simplicity in explaining the invention system 100only illustrates three active wireless base stations (e.g., CBSDdevices), two Resource Allocation Management Devices (e.g., SAS devices)and a few UE devices, it will be appreciated that system 100 typicallyincludes a large plurality of active wireless base stations (e.g.,CBSDs) in the wireless network supporting a large plurality of UEdevices and being managed by a plurality of Resource AllocationManagement Devices (e.g., SAS devices) which are in communication withone another. While the cell coverage areas of the different wirelessbase stations are not shown are overlapping their transmission stillcause interference in the spectrum allocated to the wireless basestation bases by the RAMD 1, e.g., SAS 1 106.

FIG. 4 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless base station (WBS) (e.g.,Citizens Broadband Radio Service Device (CBSD), Wi-Fi base station, LTEbase station, 4G base station, 5G base station) 400 in accordance withan exemplary embodiment. The wireless base station device (e.g., CBSDdevice) 400, in some embodiments, incorporates Long Term Evolution(LTE), e.g., 4G LTE, eNodeB base station/access point capabilities suchas determination of a user equipment device's timing advance and/orcommands to request user equipment devices to report power headroomvalues. In some embodiments, the wireless base station (e.g., CBSDdevice) 400 also includes the capabilities of a CBSD as defined by theFederal Communications Commission's Rules with Regard to CommercialOperations in the 3550-3650 MHz Band. Exemplary wireless base station(e.g., CBSD device) 400 includes a wireless interface 404, a networkinterface 405, e.g., a wired or optical interface, processor(s) 406 (oneor more processors), e.g., a CPU, an assembly of hardware components408, e.g., an assembly of circuits, and I/O interface 410 and memory 412coupled together via a bus 409 over which the various elements mayinterchange data and information. Wireless base station 400 furtherincludes a speaker 452, a display 454, switches 456, keypad 458 andmouse 459 coupled to I/O interface 410, via which the various I/Odevices (452, 454, 456, 458, 459) may communicate with other elements(404, 406, 408, 412) of the wireless base station 400. Network interface405 includes a receiver 478 and a transmitter 480. In some embodiments,receiver 478 and transmitter 480 are part of a transceiver 484. Wirelessinterface 404 includes a wireless receiver 438 and a wirelesstransmitter 440. In some embodiments, receiver 438 and transmitter 440are part of a transceiver 442. In various embodiments, wirelessinterface 404 includes a plurality of wireless receivers and a pluralityof wireless transmitters. Wireless receiver 438 is coupled to aplurality of receive antennas (receive antenna 1 439, . . . , receiveantenna M 441), via which wireless base station 400 can receive wirelesssignal from other wireless communications devices including a secondwireless communications device, e.g., a UE device. Wireless transmitter440 is coupled to a plurality of wireless transmit antennas (transmitantenna 1 443, . . . , transmit antenna N 445) via which the wirelessbase station 400 can transmit signals to other wireless communicationsdevices including a second wireless communications device, e.g., a UEdevice. Memory 412 includes an assembly of component 414, e.g., anassembly of software components, and data/information 416.Data/information 416 includes UE device information corresponding to aplurality of user equipment devices (UE device A information 417, . . ., UE device N information 419 where A to N are the UE devices beingserviced by the wireless base station for example WBS 1 (e.g., CBSD 1)102 UE 1 . . . UE 5 as shown in FIG. 1 , UE transmit data buffer 420,and List of PCIs (Physical Cell Identifier List) 422. In someembodiments, WBS 1 (e.g., CBSD 1) 102 and/or WBS 2 (e.g., CBSD 2) 104,are implemented in accordance with wireless base station 400.

FIG. 5 is a drawing of an exemplary user equipment (UE) device 500 inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment. UE device 500 is, e.g., amobile device such as a cell phone, a smart phone, wireless tablet orwireless notebook. UE device 500, in some embodiments, includes LongTerm Evolution (LTE), e.g., 4G LTE, mobile device capabilities.Exemplary UE device 500 includes a wireless interface 504, aprocessor(s) 506, e.g., a CPU, an assembly of hardware components 508,e.g., an assembly of circuits, and I/O interface 510 and memory 512coupled together via a bus 509 over which the various elements mayinterchange data and information. UE device 500 further includes amicrophone 550, camera 551, speaker 552, a display 554, e.g., a touchscreen display, switches 556, keypad 558 and mouse 559 coupled to I/Ointerface 510, via which the various I/O devices (550, 551, 552, 554,556, 558, 559) may communicate with other elements (504, 506, 508, 512)of the UE device. Network interface 505 includes a receiver 578 and atransmitter 580. In some embodiments, receiver 578 and transmitter 580are part of a transceiver 584. Wireless interface 504 includes awireless receiver 538 and a wireless transmitter 540. In someembodiments, receiver 538 and transmitter 540 are part of a transceiver524. In various embodiments, wireless interface 504 includes a pluralityof wireless receivers and a plurality of wireless transmitters. Wirelessreceiver 538 is coupled to one or more receive antennas (receive antenna1 539, . . . , receive antenna M 541), via which UE device 500 canreceive wireless signals from other wireless communications devicesincluding, e.g., a wireless base station such as wireless base station400. Wireless transmitter 540 is coupled to one or more wirelesstransmit antennas (transmit antenna 1 543, . . . , transmit antenna N545) via which the UE device 500 can transmit signals to other wirelesscommunications device including a first wireless communications device,e.g., a wireless base station 400. Memory 512 includes an assembly ofcomponents 514, e.g., an assembly of software components, anddata/information 516.

FIG. 6 is a drawing of an exemplary computing device such as a ResourceAllocation Management Device (RAMD), e.g., a Spectrum Access System(SAS) device in a CBRS system), a session management function device, apolicy control function device 600 in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment. In some embodiments, when the computing device 600 is aResource Allocation Management Device implemented as an SAS it includesthe capabilities of a SAS as defined by the Federal CommunicationsCommission's Rules with Regard to Commercial Operations in the 3550-3650MHz Band. In some embodiments, when the computing device 600 isimplemented as a session management function device it includes at leastthe capabilities of session management function as defined per 5Gnetwork standards. In some embodiments, when the computing device 600 isimplemented as a policy control function device it includes at least thecapabilities of policy control function as defined per 5g networkstandards. The computing device 600 includes a network interface 605,e.g., a wired or optical interface, a processor(s) 606 (e.g., one ormore processors), e.g., a CPU, an assembly of hardware components 608,e.g., an assembly of circuits, and I/O interface 610 and memory 612coupled together via a bus 609 over which the various elements mayinterchange data and information. The computing device 600 furtherincludes a speaker 652, a display 654, switches 656, keypad 658 andmouse 659 coupled to I/O interface 610, via which the various I/Odevices (652, 654, 656, 658, 659) may communicate with other elements(606, 608, 612) of the computing device 600. Network interface 605includes a receiver 678 and a transmitter 680. The network interface 605is typically used to communicate with other devices, e.g., otherresource management devices, other devices in the network core and/orwireless base stations (e.g., CBSD devices). In some embodiments,receiver 678 and transmitter 680 are part of a transceiver 684. Memory612 includes an assembly of component 614, e.g., an assembly of softwarecomponents, and data/information 616. Data/information 616 typicallyincludes spectrum allocation information for different wireless basestations of GAA spectrum and spectrum interference information when thecomputing device is a resource allocation management device such as anSAS. The data/information 616 includes spectrum availability information(e.g., licensed and unlicensed spectrum available for wireless basestations of a service provider) and spectrum interference informationwhen the computing device is a policy control function. Thedata/information 616 may, and in some embodiments also includes spectrumbandwidth part rankings and assignments of spectrum to differentwireless base stations. In some embodiments, resource allocationmanagement devices, session management function devices and policycontrol function devices disclosed in the figures and/or discussed inconnection with the various embodiments of the invention are implementedin accordance with computing device 600. For example, ResourceAllocation Management Device 1 (e.g., SAS 1) 106, session managementfunction device 152 and policy control device 154 of FIG. 1 areimplemented in accordance with computing device 600.

FIG. 7 is a drawing of an exemplary assembly of components 700 which maybe included in an exemplary wireless base station (e.g., exemplarywireless base station 400 of FIG. 4 ), in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment. The components in the assembly of components 700 can, and insome embodiments are, implemented fully in hardware within a processor,e.g., processor 406, e.g., as individual circuits. The components in theassembly of components 700 can, and in some embodiments are, implementedfully in hardware within the assembly of hardware components 408, e.g.,as individual circuits corresponding to the different components. Inother embodiments some of the components are implemented, e.g., ascircuits, within processor 406 with other components being implemented,e.g., as circuits within assembly of components 408, external to andcoupled to the processor 406. As should be appreciated the level ofintegration of components on the processor and/or with some componentsbeing external to the processor may be one of design choice.Alternatively, rather than being implemented as circuits, all or some ofthe components may be implemented in software and stored in the memory412 of the wireless base station 400, with the components controllingoperation of wireless base station device 400 to implement the functionscorresponding to the components when the components are executed by aprocessor e.g., processor 406. In some such embodiments, the assembly ofcomponents 700 is included in the memory 412 as assembly of softwarecomponents 414. In still other embodiments, various components inassembly of components 700 are implemented as a combination of hardwareand software, e.g., with another circuit external to the processorproviding input to the processor which then under software controloperates to perform a portion of a component's function.

When implemented in software the components include code, which whenexecuted by a processor, e.g., processor 406, configure the processor toimplement the function corresponding to the component. In embodimentswhere the assembly of components 700 is stored in the memory 412, thememory 412 is a computer program product comprising a computer readablemedium comprising code, e.g., individual code for each component, forcausing at least one computer, e.g., processor 406, to implement thefunctions to which the components correspond.

Completely hardware based or completely software based components may beused. However, it should be appreciated that any combination of softwareand hardware, e.g., circuit implemented components may be used toimplement the functions. As should be appreciated, the componentsillustrated in FIG. 7 control and/or configure the wireless base station400 or elements therein such as the processor 406, to perform thefunctions of corresponding steps illustrated and/or described in themethod of one or more of the flowcharts, signaling diagrams and/ordescribed with respect to any of the Figures. Thus the assembly ofcomponents 700 includes various components that perform functions ofcorresponding one or more described and/or illustrated steps of anexemplary method.

Assembly of components 700 includes a control routines component 702, acommunications component 704, a message generator component 706, amessage processing component 708, a resource allocation implementercomponent 710, a user equipment device scoring/ranking component 712, aspectrum ranking component 714, a spectrum partitioning component 714, astorage component 716, a spectrum bandwidth allocation component 718, aspectrum bandwidth parts allocation component 720, and a determinatorcomponent 722.

The control routines component 702 is configured to control operation ofthe wireless base station (e.g., CBSD). The communication component 704is configured to handle communications, e.g., transmission and receptionof messages, and protocol signaling for the wireless base station (e.g.,CBSD). The message generator component 706 is configured to generatemessages for transmission to other devices. The message processingcomponent 708 is configured to process messages received from otherdevices, e.g., messages from user equipment devices including userequipment capability information, spectrum allocation messages fromresource allocation management devices, SAS devices, session functionmanagement devices, policy control function devices.

The resource allocation implementer component 710 is configured toimplement all aspects related to spectrum allocations to user equipmentdevices including for example determining spectrum allocations to userequipment devices, spectrum bandwidth part allocations to user equipmentdevices, spectrum apportionment, spectrum portion and/or spectrumbandwidth part rankings.

The user equipment device scoring/ranking component 714 is configured todetermine scores and/or rankings of user equipment devices based on userequipment capability information received from the user equipmentdevices and/or derived from information obtained from interacting withthe user equipment devices, e.g., monitoring how data is consumed by theuser equipment devices for a period of time.

The spectrum scoring/ranking component 714 generates scores and/or ranksspectrum, e.g., based on type of spectrum, amount of spectrum, spectruminterference, number of user equipment devices to which spectrum hasbeen allocated. The scoring/ranking component 714 also generates scoresand/or ranks bandwidth parts and apportioned spectrum such as spectrumwhich has been separated, segmented, partitioned or divided into chunks.

The storage component 716 is configured to manage the store, andretrieval of data and/or instructions to/and from memory and/or storagedevice coupled and/or connected to the wireless base station.

The spectrum bandwidth allocation component 718 is configured toallocate bandwidth or spectrum to user equipment devices.

The spectrum bandwidth parts allocation component 720 is configured toallocate bandwidth parts to user equipment devices.

The determinator component 722 is configured to make determinations anddecisions for the wireless base station including for example: i)determining the score and/or ranking of bandwidth, spectrum, bandwidthparts, portions of bandwidth or spectrum, scores for user equipmentdevices based on user equipment capabilities, (ii) determinations of auser equipment device's capabilities based on a user equipment devicecategory reported by the user equipment device, (iii) determinations ofa spectrum type based on spectrum bandwidth of the spectrum, (iv)determinations of allocations of bandwidth, spectrum, and/or bandwidthparts for user equipment devices based on one or more of the following:spectrum scores, spectrum/bandwidth ranking, spectrum interference,spectrum current usage and allocation to user equipment devices,spectrum type, bandwidth part spectrum scores, bandwidth part spectrumranking, bandwidth part current usage by user equipment devices, userequipment capabilities of the user equipment devices, (v) determiningwhether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to a user equipmentdevice based on user equipment capability information received from theuser equipment device, (vi) determining which licensed or unlicensedbandwidth part spectrum which is available for use by the wireless basestation to allocate to the user equipment device based on a userequipment capability score and a quality score of the licensed andunlicensed bandwidth part spectrum, (vi) determining whether to allocateavailable priority access licensed spectrum or available GeneralAuthorized Access spectrum to a user equipment device.

FIG. 8 is a drawing of an exemplary assembly of components 800 which maybe included in an exemplary user equipment (UE) device, e.g., UE device500 of FIG. 5 , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. Thecomponents in the assembly of components 800 can, and in someembodiments are, implemented fully in hardware within a processor, e.g.,processor 506, e.g., as individual circuits. The components in theassembly of components 800 can, and in some embodiments are, implementedfully in hardware within the assembly of hardware components 508, e.g.,as individual circuits corresponding to the different components. Inother embodiments some of the components are implemented, e.g., ascircuits, within processor 506 with other components being implemented,e.g., as circuits within assembly of components 508, external to andcoupled to the processor 506. As should be appreciated the level ofintegration of components on the processor and/or with some componentsbeing external to the processor may be one of design choice.Alternatively, rather than being implemented as circuits, all or some ofthe components may be implemented in software and stored in the memory512 of the UE device 500, with the components controlling operation ofUE device 500 to implement the functions corresponding to the componentswhen the components are executed by a processor e.g., processor 506. Insome such embodiments, the assembly of components 800 is included in thememory 512 as assembly of software components 514. In still otherembodiments, various components in assembly of components 800 areimplemented as a combination of hardware and software, e.g., withanother circuit external to the processor providing input to theprocessor which then under software control operates to perform aportion of a component's function. When implemented in software thecomponents include code, which when executed by a processor, e.g.,processor 506, configure the processor to implement the functioncorresponding to the component. In embodiments where the assembly ofcomponents 800 is stored in the memory 512, the memory 512 is a computerprogram product comprising a computer readable medium comprising code,e.g., individual code for each component, for causing at least onecomputer, e.g., processor 506, to implement the functions to which thecomponents correspond.

Completely hardware based or completely software based components may beused. However, it should be appreciated that any combination of softwareand hardware, e.g., circuit implemented components may be used toimplement the functions. As should be appreciated, the componentsillustrated in FIG. 8 control and/or configure the UE device 500 orelements therein such as the processor 506, to perform the functions ofcorresponding steps illustrated and/or described in the method of one ormore of the flowcharts, signaling diagrams and/or described with respectto any of the Figures. Thus the assembly of components 800 includesvarious components that perform functions of corresponding one or moredescribed and/or illustrated steps of an exemplary method.

Assembly of components 800 includes a control routines component 802, acommunications component 804, a message generator component 806, amessage processing component 808, a bandwidth parts configurationcomponent 810, and a user equipment capability component 812.

The control routines component 802 is configured to control operation ofthe UE. The communication component 804 is configured to handlecommunications, e.g., receipt and transmission of signals and provideprotocol signal processing for one or protocols for the UE. The messagegenerator component 804 is configured to generate messages fortransmission to the wireless base stations (e.g., CBSD devices) such asmessages including user equipment capability information of the userequipment device. In some embodiments, the message generator componentis a sub-component of the communications component 804. The messageprocessing component 808 processes received messages, e.g., requests forinformation such as user equipment capability information and bandwidthpart configuration instructions/information. In some embodiments, themessage processing component is a sub-component of the communicationscomponent 808. The bandwidth parts configuration component configurationthe user equipment device to communicate with a wireless base stationusing bandwidth parts feature, e.g., 5G New Radio Bandwidth Partsfeature. The user equipment capability component 812 identifies userequipment capabilities and/or features of the user equipment device andreports or communicates these capabilities and/or features to a wirelessbase station, e.g., a wireless base station to which the UE is attachedand/or connected. The user equipment capabilities can be a userequipment category which identifies the user equipment capabilities. Theuser equipment capabilities and/or features can also include powerrequirements of the user equipment device, device type of the userequipment device, dominant traffic consumed by the user equipmentdevice, model of the user equipment device, hardware capabilities (e.g.,hardware release/version of user equipment device, number of CPUs,number of GPUs), software capabilities (e.g., software release/version,operating system), throughput capabilities, and latency requirements

FIG. 9 is a drawing of an exemplary assembly of components 900 which maybe included in a computing device, e.g., computing device 600 of FIG. 6, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The computing device maybe implemented as an exemplary Resource Allocation Management Device(e.g., SAS device), Session Management Function device, or PolicyControl Function device. Not all components need to be included in thecomputing device. The specific components which are included will bedependent on the computing devices implementation for example whetherthe computing device is implemented as an SAS or a Session ManagementFunction device. In some embodiments, all of the components are includedbut only some components will be utilized depending on the functionsbeing implemented by the device, e.g., session management function vs.policy control function. The components in the assembly of components900 can, and in some embodiments are, implemented fully in hardwarewithin a processor or one or more processors, e.g., processor(s) 606,e.g., as individual circuits. The components in the assembly ofcomponents 900 can, and in some embodiments are, implemented fully inhardware within the assembly of hardware components 608, e.g., asindividual circuits corresponding to the different components. In otherembodiments some of the components are implemented, e.g., as circuits,within processor(s) 606 with other components being implemented, e.g.,as circuits within assembly of components 608, external to and coupledto the processor(s) 606. As should be appreciated the level ofintegration of components on the processor and/or with some componentsbeing external to the processor may be one of design choice.Alternatively, rather than being implemented as circuits, all or some ofthe components may be implemented in software and stored in the memory612 of the resource allocation management device 600, with thecomponents controlling operation of resource allocation managementdevice 600 to implement the functions corresponding to the componentswhen the components are executed by a processor e.g., processor 606. Insome such embodiments, the assembly of components 900 is included in thememory 612 as assembly of software components 614. In still otherembodiments, various components in assembly of components 900 areimplemented as a combination of hardware and software, e.g., withanother circuit external to the processor providing input to theprocessor which then under software control operates to perform aportion of a component's function.

When implemented in software the components include code, which whenexecuted by a processor or one or more processors, e.g., processor(s)606, configure the processor(s) to implement the function correspondingto the component. In embodiments where the assembly of components 900 isstored in the memory 612, the memory 612 is a computer program productcomprising a computer readable medium comprising code, e.g., individualcode for each component, for causing at least one computer, e.g.,processor 606, to implement the functions to which the componentscorrespond.

Completely hardware based or completely software based components may beused. However, it should be appreciated that any combination of softwareand hardware, e.g., circuit implemented components may be used toimplement the functions. As should be appreciated, the componentsillustrated in FIG. 9 control and/or configure the computing device 600or elements therein such as the processor(s) 606, to perform thefunctions of corresponding steps illustrated and/or described in themethod of one or more of the flowcharts, signaling diagrams and/ordescribed with respect to any of the Figures. Thus the assembly ofcomponents 900 includes various components that perform functions ofcorresponding one or more described and/or illustrated steps of anexemplary method.

Assembly of components 900 includes a control routines component 902, acommunications component 904, a message generator component 906, amessage processing component 908, a spectrum interference component 910,a determinator component 912, a spectrum management component 916, aresource allocation component 918, a spectrum partitioning component924, a spectrum scoring/ranking component 926, and a storage component928. The resource allocation component 918 includes in a frequencybandwidth allocation component 920 and a transmission power allocationcomponent 922.

The control routines component 902 is configured to control operation ofthe computing device. The communication component 904 is configured tohandle communications between the computing device and othernodes/devices, e.g., wireless base stations, session management functiondevice, policy control function device, databases, ESC system includingreceipt and transmission of messages and protocol signaling. The messagegenerator component 906 is configured to generate messages fortransmission to other device, e.g., policy control function device,session management function device, resource allocation managementdevice, wireless base stations (e.g., CBSD devices), e.g., resourceallocations messages including frequency bandwidth allocated to awireless base station (e.g., CBSD) and transmission power allocationsfor the wireless base station (e.g., CBSD). The message processingcomponent 908 is configured to process messages received from othercomponents, e.g., wireless base station registration messages, requestsfor bandwidth/spectrum allocation messages. The spectrum interferencedetermination component 910 is configured to determine actual orpotential spectrum interference to be caused by wireless, e.g., radiotransmission from active wireless base stations (e.g., CBSD devices) orwireless base stations (e.g., CBSDs devices) which are to become active.

The determinator component 914 is configured to make one or moredecisions or determinations such as for example, the score and/orranking of a bandwidth portion, allocated spectrum, bandwidth part,determine spectrum allocations, and determine spectrum interferenceinformation.

The spectrum management component 916 is configured to manage theallocation of frequency spectrum in the wireless network includingfrequency bandwidth allocated to wireless base stations managed by thecomputing device, e.g., a resource allocation management device. In someembodiments, the spectrum management component 916 is a sub-component ofresource allocation component 918.

The resource allocation component 918 is configured to allocateresources including for example frequency bandwidth allocations and/ortransmission power allocations for wireless base stations (e.g., CBSDs)managed by the resource allocation management device (e.g., SAS) andbased on estimations of the wireless base stations' (e.g., CBSDs′)coverage area. In some embodiments, the resource allocation component918 includes sub-components frequency bandwidth allocation component 920and transmission power allocation component 922. The frequency bandwidthallocation component 920 is configured to allocate frequency bandwidthfor a wireless base station (e.g., CBSD) based on the estimated coveragearea of the wireless base station (e.g., CBSD). The transmission powerallocation component 922 is configured to allocate transmission power toa wireless base station (e.g., CBSD) based on the estimated coveragearea of the wireless base station (e.g., CBSD).

The spectrum partitioning component 924 is configured to partition,segment or divide spectrum or bandwidth into a plurality of portionsand/or bandwidth parts.

The spectrum scoring/ranking component 926 is configured score and/orspectrum/bandwidth, e.g., spectrum bandwidth parts or portions ofspectrum/bandwidth which has been partitioned and/or segmented.

The storage component 928 is configured to store, retrieve and maintaindata in memory and/or a storage device coupled and/or connected to thecomputing device.

FIG. 3 , which comprises the combination of FIGS. 3A and 3B illustratesan exemplary method 3000. FIG. 3A illustrates the steps of the firstpart of an exemplary method 3000 in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present invention. FIG. 3B illustrates the steps of the second partof an exemplary method 3000 in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

For explanatory purposes the exemplary method 3000 will be explained inconnection with the exemplary wireless network system 100 illustrated inFIG. 1 wherein the wireless network is a 5G CBRS network, wireless basestations are CBSD devices, and the resource allocation managementdevices are SAS devices. The wireless base stations and user equipmentdevices of the 5G CBRS network support the 5G bandwidth part features.However, it should be understood that the method may be implementedusing other systems (e.g., 5G systems) and other system configurationsthen those illustrated in FIG. 1 . While it will be readily understoodthat additional steps and signaling are performed in connection withcommunicating information, messages, and packets between devices, themethod 3000 focuses on and discusses the steps and signaling forunderstanding the invention.

The method 3000 starts in start step 3002 shown on FIG. 3A. Operationproceeds from start step 3002 to step 3004.

In step 3004, first spectrum availability information is received at afirst wireless base station (e.g., system 100 wireless base station102). The first spectrum availability information identifies thespectrum or bandwidth available for use by the first wireless basestation. In some embodiments, the spectrum availability information isprovided to first wireless base station from a policy control functiondevice located in a core network (e.g., 5G core network (system 100 corenetwork 150). The policy control function device having storedinformation on the spectrum (both licensed (PAL) and unlicensed spectrum(GAA)) available for use by the first wireless base station.

In some embodiments, at least some of the spectrum availabilityinformation (e.g., GAA spectrum availability information) is received bythe first wireless base station from a resource allocation managementdevice (e.g., system 100 SAS 1 106) via the policy control functiondevice (system 100 PCF device 154) and/or a session management functiondevice (system 100 SMF device 152) located in a 5G core network (system100 1st service provider core network 150). The first wireless basestation being coupled to the 5G core network and being part of the 5Gnetwork in which the PCF device and SMF device are located. Operationproceeds from step 2004 to step 3006.

In step 3006, spectrum interference information for the spectrumavailable for use by the first wireless base station is received at thefirst wireless base station. In some embodiments, this information isreceived from the session management function device (e.g., SMF device152) which in turn received it from the policy control function device(e.g., PCF device 154 of system 100) which in turn received theinformation from the resource allocation management device (e.g., SAS 1106 of system 100). In some embodiments, the spectrum interferenceinformation is provided to the first wireless base station along withfirst spectrum availability information. Operation proceeds from step3006 to step 3008.

In step 3008, the first wireless base station, partitions, segmentsand/or divides the spectrum identified in the first spectrum availableinformation as being available for use by the first wireless basestation into a plurality of bandwidth parts. The plurality of bandwidthparts including at least one bandwidth part of licensed spectrum (e.g.,PAL spectrum) and at least one bandwidth part of unlicensed spectrum(e.g., GAA spectrum). In some embodiments, the available spectrum ispartitioned, segmented and/or divided into bandwidth parts at the 5Gcore network in addition to or in place of at the first wireless basestation, e.g., by the policy control function device. In instances wherethe available spectrum for the first wireless base station ispartitioned, segmented and/or divided into bandwidth parts in the 5Gcore network, e.g., by the PCF device, the first spectrum availableinformation includes the bandwidth parts which are available for use bythe first wireless base station. Each of said spectrum bandwidth partsidentifies a contiguous set of resource blocks. In some embodiments, thefirst spectrum availability information includes the identification ofspectrum bandwidth parts available for use by the first wireless basestation with each of the spectrum bandwidth parts identifying acontiguous set of resource blocks. In some such embodiments, the firstspectrum availability information includes both a licensed spectrumbandwidth part and an unlicensed spectrum bandwidth part. Operationproceeds from step 3008 to step 3010.

In step 3010, the first wireless base generates a quality score of thelicensed and unlicensed spectrum bandwidth parts based on one or more ofthe following: a bandwidth part's spectrum type, number of userequipment devices allocated to the bandwidth part by the first wirelessbase station, and spectrum interference information for the bandwidthpart spectrum. In some embodiments, step 3010 includes sub-step 3012. Insub-step 3012, the first wireless base station in generating the qualityscore for the licensed and unlicensed spectrum bandwidth parts alsobases the quality score on the number of times that a spectrum bandwidthpart has been granted to a base station for use in a geographical areain which the first wireless base station is operating. In someembodiments, the quality score is further based on the amount ofbandwidth or spectrum included in the bandwidth part. Operation proceedsfrom step 3010 to step 3014.

In step 3014, user equipment capability information from user equipmentdevices are received at the first wireless base station. Step 3014includes sub-step 3016. In sub-step 3016, user equipment capabilityinformation is received from a first user equipment device at the firstwireless base station. Operation proceeds from step 3014 via connectionnode 3018 to step 3020 shown on FIG. 3B.

In step 3020, the first wireless base station generates, user equipmentcapability scores for each of the user equipment devices for which userequipment information was received. The user equipment capability scorefor each user equipment device being based on the user equipmentcapability information received from the user equipment device. In someembodiments step 3020 includes one or more sub-step 3022 and 3024. Insub-step 3022, the first wireless base station generates a first userequipment capability score based on user equipment capabilityinformation received from the first user equipment device. In sub-step3024, the first wireless base station generates user equipmentcapability scores, each user equipment capability score being a weightedfactor sum of values assigned to each of the use equipment devicecapabilities included in the user equipment capability informationreceived from the user equipment device. Operation proceeds from step3020 to step 3026.

In step 3026, the first wireless base station determines whether toallocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipmentdevice based on the user equipment capability information received fromthe first user equipment device. In some embodiments, step 3026 includessub-step 3028. In sub-step 3028, the first wireless base stationdetermines which licensed or unlicensed bandwidth part spectrum which isavailable for use by the first wireless base station to allocate to thefirst user equipment device based on the first user equipment capabilityscore and a quality score of the licensed and unlicensed bandwidth partspectrum. Operation proceeds from step 3028 to step 3030. Steps 3030 and3034 are optional. If steps 3030 and 3034 are not implemented operationproceeds from step 3028 to step 3036.

In step 3030, the first wireless base station allocates bandwidth partspectrum for use by the first user equipment device based on rankings ofavailable spectrum and the ranking of the first user equipment device.The ranking of the first user equipment device being based on the userequipment capability information. The available spectrum having beensegmented, divided and/or partitioned into separate bandwidth parts ofcontiguous resource blocks. Step 3030 includes in some embodimentssub-step 3032. In sub-step 3032, the first wireless base station matchesuser equipment capability information for the first user equipmentdevice to a bandwidth part spectrum based on the ranking of thebandwidth part spectrum. In some embodiments, the ranking of thebandwidth part spectrum is based on the quality score or the qualityscore is used for the ranking. In some embodiments, the ranking of thebandwidth part spectrum is based on one or more of the following:spectrum type of bandwidth, amount of spectrum included in the bandwidthpart, number of user equipment devices to which the bandwidth part hasbeen allocated by the wireless base station and/or the spectruminterference information for the bandwidth part. In some embodiments,the spectrum type is priority access license bandwidth type and generalauthorized access bandwidth type. In some such embodiments, the priorityaccess license bandwidth type is ranked higher than general authorizedaccess bandwidth type. In some embodiments, the spectrum type islicensed and unlicensed. In some such embodiments, the licensedbandwidth type is ranked higher than the unlicensed bandwidth type. Insome embodiments, ranking the bandwidth parts of the spectrum availablefor use by the first wireless base includes normalizing differentspectrum when bandwidth parts of different sizes (e.g., 10 MHz PALspectrum vs. 20 MHz GAA spectrum) are available for use. In someembodiments, the quality score for available spectrum bandwidth parts isgenerated using a sum weighted average wherein the different factors areweighted and then summed. The weights representing the importance of thefactor. In some embodiments, the ranking of bandwidth spectrum isdetermined using a sum weighted average wherein the different factorsare weighted and then summed. The weights representing the importance ofthe factor. Operation proceeds from step 3030 to step 3034.

In step 3034, the first wireless base station communicates bandwidthpart configuration information to the first user equipment device. Thebandwidth part configuration information in various embodiments iscommunicated in the downlink control information sent to the wirelessbase station in Physical Downlink Control Channel. The bandwidth partconfiguration information provides the first user equipment deviceinformation to configure the first user equipment to be communicate withthe first wireless base station using bandwidth parts. Operationproceeds from step 3034 to step 3036.

In step 3036, the first wireless base station communicates the firstspectrum allocation grant to the first user equipment device identifyingthe allocated spectrum for use by the first user equipment device. Insome embodiments, step 3036 includes sub-step 3038. In sub-step 3038,the first wireless base station communicates a first spectrum bandwidthpart allocation grant to the first user equipment device identifying theallocated spectrum for use by the first user equipment device. In someembodiments, the bandwidth part configuration information is sent withor as part of the first spectrum bandwidth part allocation grant. Thefirst spectrum bandwidth part allocation grant is communicated to thefirst user equipment device in the downlink control channel informationsent to the first user equipment device in the Physical Downlink ControlChannel.

The method is repeated as spectrum availability changes and/oradditional user equipment devices are assigned/allocated spectrum (e.g.,licensed bandwidth part spectrum or unlicensed bandwidth part spectrum)by the first wireless base station.

Various additional optional features and/or embodiments of method 3000will now be discussed.

In some embodiments, the first wireless base station is a CitizensBroadband Radio Service Device (CBSD) which is part of a CitizensBroadband Radio Service (CBRS) network being operated by a first serviceprovider/operator. In some of such embodiments, the licensed spectrum isPriority Access License (PAL) spectrum licensed tot eh first serviceprovider and the unlicensed spectrum is General Authorized Access (GAA)spectrum granted for use by a Spectrum Access System of the CBRS networkwith which the first wireless base station is registered.

In various embodiments, the user equipment capability informationincludes one or more of the following: user equipment device type, userequipment device power requirement, dominant traffic type consumed(e.g., uplink traffic type, downlink traffic type) by the user equipmentdevice, user equipment hardware capability, user equipment softwarecapability, user equipment throughput capability, and user equipmentdevice latency requirement. In some embodiments, the user equipmentcapability information includes a user equipment device category fromwhich one or more user equipment capabilities can be derived. Thederived user equipment capabilities includes one or more of thefollowing: (i) user equipment device type, (ii) user equipment devicepower requirements, (iii) user equipment device hardware capability,(iv) user equipment device software capabilities, (v) dominant traffictype consumed by the user equipment device, (vi) throughput capabilityof the user equipment device, (vii) latency requirements of the userequipment device.

In some embodiments, the user equipment device type includes one or moreof the following: (i) mobile phone type, (ii) appliance type (e.g.,smart home device—thermostat, refrigerator, washer, dryer, television,security system), vehicle, laptop, tablet, smartphone, and computer.

In some embodiments, the user equipment device power requirementsinclude a high power requirement, a mid-power power requirement, and alow power requirement. The low power requirement is a power requirementbelow a first threshold. The high power requirement is a powerrequirement above a second threshold. The a mid-power requirement is apower requirement equal to or greater than the first threshold and lessthan or equal to the second threshold.

In some embodiments, the user equipment device hardware capabilityincludes one or more of the following capabilities: (i) single CPUhardware device, (ii) multi-core CPU hardware device, (iii) singleDigital Signal Processing device, (iv) multi-core Digital SignalProcessing device, (v) single Graphics Processing Unit device, and (vi)multi-core Graphics Processing Unit device, (vii) device hardwarerelease or version.

In some embodiments, the user equipment software capability includes oneor more of the following: software release or version, type of operatingsystem (e.g., iOS, android, release and/or version of device's operatingsystem.

In some embodiments, user equipment throughput capability includes: highthroughput demand, mid-throughput demand, and low throughput demand. Thelow throughput demand is a throughput demand below a first throughputthreshold. The high throughput demand is a throughput demand above asecond throughput threshold. The mid-throughput demand is a throughputdemand equal to or greater than the first throughput threshold and lessthan or equal to the second throughput threshold.

In some embodiments, the user equipment latency requirement capabilityincludes a set of latency requirements defined by a set of thresholdswhich categorize very strict latency requirement devices, strict latencyrequirement devices, normal latency requirement devices, low latencyrequirement devices.

In various embodiments, the user equipment capability score for a userequipment device is generated using a weighted factor sum of valuesassigned to each of the first user equipment device capabilitiesincluded int eh user equipment capability information provided to thewireless base station generating the user equipment capability score.The weights representing the importance of the factor. For example, insome embodiments, the first user equipment device capability score isgenerated based on the user equipment capability information receivedfrom the first user equipment device by performing the followingsummation: W1 user equipment capability 1+W2 user equipment capability2+W3 user equipment capability 3+W4 user equipment capability 4; whereinuser equipment capability 1 is a numerical value assigned to the firstuser equipment capability included in the user equipment capabilityinformation received from the first user equipment device and wherein W1is a numerical value weighting factor assigned for the first userequipment capability; wherein user equipment capability 2 is a numericalvalue assigned to the second user equipment capability included in theuser equipment capability information received from the first userequipment device and wherein W2 is a numerical value weighting factorassigned for the second user equipment capability; wherein userequipment capability 3 is a numerical value assigned to the third userequipment capability included in the user equipment capabilityinformation received from the first user equipment device and wherein W3is a numerical value weighting factor assigned for the third userequipment capability; wherein user equipment capability 4 is a numericalvalue assigned to the fourth user equipment capability included in theuser equipment capability information received from the first userequipment device and wherein W4 is a numerical value weighting factorassigned for the fourth user equipment capability; and the userequipment capability information includes at least four user equipmentdevice capabilities. In some embodiments, the wireless base stationranks the user equipment devices using the generated user equipmentcapability scores and based on the ranking matches the user equipmentdevice to a spectrum bandwidth part. For example, if there are fourbandwidth parts and 40 user equipment devices, the wireless base stationmay rank the 40 user equipment devices by user equipment capabilityscore highest to lowest with 40 being highest and 1 being lowest. The 40user equipment devices may then be grouped into four groups based on theuser equipment devices score or ranking. Each of the four groupscorresponding to one of the bandwidth parts. For example, user equipmentgroup 1 with the highest ranking user equipment capability devices willhave bandwidth part 1 spectrum allocated to it. Bandwidth part 1spectrum also having the highest ranking indicating it has the bestquality, e.g., lowest interference and lowest number of user equipmentdevices assigned. User equipment group 2 with the second highest rankinguser equipment capability devices will have bandwidth part 2 spectrumallocated it. Bandwidth part 2 spectrum being the second highest rankedbandwidth part spectrum. User equipment group 3 with the third highestranking user equipment capability devices will have bandwidth part 3spectrum allocated it. Bandwidth part 4 spectrum being the fourthhighest ranked bandwidth part spectrum or in this case the lowest rankedbandwidth part spectrum. User equipment group 4 with the fourth highestranking user equipment capability devices or in this case the lowestranked used equipment capability devices will have bandwidth part 4spectrum allocated it. Bandwidth part 4 spectrum being the lowest rankedbandwidth part spectrum of the four bandwidth parts available for use bythe wireless base station.

FIG. 10 which illustrates the steps of a flowchart of a method 1000illustrates another exemplary method embodiment for managing bandwidthspectrum in a wireless communications system in accordance with thepresent invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates the combination of FIGS. 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E,10F, 10G, and 10H. FIG. 10A illustrates the steps of the first part ofan exemplary method in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. FIG. 10B illustrates the steps of the second part of anexemplary method in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. FIG. 10C illustrates the steps of the third part of anexemplary method in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. FIG. 10D illustrates the steps of the fourth part of anexemplary method in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. FIG. 10E illustrates the steps of the fifth part of anexemplary method in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. FIG. 10F illustrates the steps of the sixth part of anexemplary method in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. FIG. 10G illustrates the steps of the seventh part of anexemplary method in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. FIG. 10H illustrates the steps of the eighth part of anexemplary method in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention.

For explanatory purposes the exemplary method 1000 will be explained inconnection with the exemplary communications system 100 illustrated inFIG. 1 wherein the wireless network is a 5G CBRS network, wireless basestations are CBSD devices, the resource allocation management devicesare SAS devices, and the user equipment devices are mobile terminals.The devices of the communications system, e.g., wireless base stationsand user equipment device support the feature of bandwidth parts, e.g.,5G New Radio bandwidth parts. However, it should be understand that themethod may be implemented using other systems that support the bandwidthparts features, e.g., other non-CBRS 5G wireless systems as well asother system configurations then those illustrated in FIG. 1 . While itwill be readily understood that additional steps and signaling areperformed in connection with communicating information, messages, andpackets between devices, the method 1000 focuses on and discusses thesteps and signaling for understanding the invention.

The method 1000 shown in FIG. 10 will now be discussed in detail. Themethod starts in start step 1002 shown on FIG. 10A with the devices incommunications system 100 being initialized and becoming operational.

Operation proceeds from start step 1002 to step 1004. In step 1004, oneor more wireless base stations, e.g., CBSDs, register with a resourceallocation management device, e.g., a spectrum access system. The one ormore wireless base stations include a first wireless base station, e.g.,CBSD 1 102 of system 100. The one or more wireless base stations arealso operated by a first service provider. The first service provider issometimes referred to as a wireless system operator. The one or morewireless base stations are typically also owned by the first serviceprovider. In system 100 the wireless base station 104, e.g., CBSD 2 isalso owned by the first service provider and may be, and in someembodiments is, one of the one or more wireless base stations. Operationproceeds from step 1004 to step 1006.

In step 1006, the resource allocation management device grants generalauthorized access (GAA) spectrum to the one or more wireless basestations. In various embodiments, the GAA spectrum grants for the one ormore wireless base stations of the first service provider are to beshared and/or utilized by all wireless base stations operated by thefirst service provider in a first geographical area or location such asa county or city. The one or more wireless base stations being locatedwithin the first geographical area or location. Operation proceeds fromstep 1006 to step 1008.

In step 1008, the resource allocation management device sends the GAAspectrum grants to a policy control function (PCF) device. The GAAspectrum grants identify the spectrum bands allocated to the one or morewireless base stations. The GAA spectrum bands of the GAA grants are in20 MHz resolution. Operation proceeds from step 1008 to step 1010.

In step 1010, the policy control function device receives from theresource allocation management device the GAA spectrum grants whichidentify the granted spectrum bands in 20 MHz resolutions. The policycontrol function device is located in the 5G core network of the firstwireless service provider. Operation proceeds from step 1010 to step1012.

In step 1012, the resource allocation management device determines thespectrum interference for the spectrum in the CBRS system and transmitsto the policy control function device spectrum interference informationfor all GAA bands in 20 MHz resolution. The spectrum interferenceinformation also includes both adjacent channel interference andco-channel interference information. Operation proceeds from step 1012to step 1014.

In step 1014, the policy control function device receives from theresource allocation management device the transmitted spectruminterference information for all GAA bands in 20 MHz resolution.Operation proceeds from step 1014 to step 1016.

In step 1016, the policy control function device stores in memory or instorage device attached to the policy control function deviceinformation identifying the spectrum available for use by the one ormore wireless base stations of the first service provider in the firstgeographical area. The first geographical area being the geographicalarea wherein the one or more wireless base stations are located. In someembodiments, the step 1016 includes one or more sub-steps 1018 and 1020.In sub-step 1018, the policy control function device stores in memorythe GAA spectrum grants granted to the wireless base stations owned bythe first service provider in the first geographical area. In sub-step1020, the policy control function device stores in memory the PriorityAccess License (PAL) frequency spectrum licensed to the first serviceprovider in the first geographical area. Operation proceeds from step1016 to step 1024 shown on FIG. 10B via connection node A 1022.

In step 1024, the policy control function device stores in memory or astorage device connected to the policy control function device thereceived spectrum interference information. The spectrum interferenceinformation includes spectrum interference information for the firstgeographical area. In some embodiments, step 1024 includes sub-step1026. In sub-step 1026, the policy control function device stores inmemory spectrum interference information for the first geographical areaalong with information identifying the geographical area, spectrumavailable for use by the first service provider in the firstgeographical area and the wireless base stations being operated by thefirst service provider in the first geographical area. Operationproceeds from step 1024 to step 1028.

In step 1028, the policy control function device transmits to a sessionmanagement function device information identifying the spectrumavailable for use by the one or more wireless base stations of the firstservice provider operating in the first geographical area. Operationproceeds from step 1028 to step 1030.

In step 1030, the policy control function device transmits to thesession management function device the spectrum interference informationfor the first geographical area. Operation proceeds from step 1030 tostep 1032.

In step 1032, the session management function device receives from thepolicy control function device the information identifying the spectrumavailable for use by the one or more wireless base stations of the firstservice provider in the first geographical area. Operation proceeds fromstep 1032 to step 1034.

In step 1034, the session management function device receives from thepolicy control function device 3 the spectrum interference informationfor the first geographical area. Operation proceeds from step 1034 tostep 1036.

In step 1036, the session management function device transmits to theone or more wireless base stations the information identifying thespectrum available for use by the one or more wireless base stations ofthe first service provider in the first geographical area. Operationproceeds from step 1036 to step 1038.

In step 1038, the session management function device transmits thespectrum interference information for the first geographical area to theone or more wireless base stations. Operation proceeds from step 1038via connection node B 1040 to step 1042 shown on FIG. 10C.

In step 1042, the one or more wireless base stations receive from thesession management function device the information identifying thespectrum available for use by the one or more wireless base stations ofthe first service provider in the first geographical area. In someembodiments, step 1042 includes one or more sub-step 1044 and 1046. Insub-step 1044, the first wireless base station receives from the sessionmanagement function device information identifying the spectrumavailable for use by the first wireless base station in the firstgeographical area. In sub-step 1046, the second wireless base stationreceives from the session management function device informationidentifying the spectrum available for the use by the second wirelessbase station in the first geographical area. The second wireless basestation being a wireless base station of the first service provideroperating in the first geographical area. In various embodiments, thespectrum available for use by the one or more wireless base stationincludes GAA spectrum granted by the resource allocation managementdevice and PAL spectrum licensed by the first service provider. Thespectrum available for use by the first wireless base station includesboth GAA spectrum and PAL spectrum. The spectrum available for use bythe second wireless base station includes both GAA spectrum and PALspectrum. In some embodiments, such as for example those wherein thefirst and second wireless base stations do not have overlapping coverageareas, the first and second wireless base stations may have the same oroverlapping spectrum allocated for use. Operation proceeds from step1042 to step 1048.

In step 1048, the one or more wireless base stations receive from thesession management function device the spectrum interference informationfor the first geographical area. Operation proceeds from step 1048 tostep 1050.

In step 1050, user equipment devices attach and/or connect to the one ormore wireless base stations. For example, with respect to system 100 UE1 110, UE 2 112, . . . , UE N 114 connect to the wireless base station102 and UE 6 120, UE 7 122, UE 8 124, . . . , UE X 126 connect to thewireless base station 104. In some embodiments, the step 1050 includesone or more sub-steps 1052 and 1054.

In sub-step 1052, a first set of user equipment devices attach and/orconnect to the first wireless base station. The first set of userequipment devices being a subset of user equipment devices whichattached and/or connected to the one or more wireless base stations. Thefirst set of user equipment devices including a plurality of userequipment devices. The first set of user equipment devise including afirst user equipment device and a second user equipment device. Withrespect to system 100, the first set of user equipment devices includesUE 1 110, UE 2 112, . . . , UE N 114.

In sub-step 1054, a second set of user equipment devices attach and/orconnect to the second wireless base station. The second set of userequipment devices being a subset of user equipment devices whichattached and/or connected to the one or more wireless base stations. Thesecond set of user equipment devices including a plurality of userequipment devices. The user equipment devices of the first set of userequipment devices and the second set of user equipment devices beingdifferent. The second set of user equipment devise including a thirduser equipment device and a fourth user equipment device. With respectto system 100, the second set of user equipment devices includes UE 6120, UE 7 122, UE 8 124, . . . , UE X 126.

Operation proceeds from step 1050 via connection node C 1056 to step1058 shown on FIG. 10D. In step 1058, each of the user equipment deviceswhich attach and/or connect to the one or more wireless base stations,transmit user equipment capability information to the wireless basestation to which it attached and/or connected. The user equipmentcapability information includes one or more of the following: userequipment category, user equipment device type, user equipment powerrequirement, dominant type of traffic consumed by the user equipmentdevice, hardware capability, software capability, throughput capability,and latency requirement. The user equipment capability informationdescribes one or more capabilities of the user equipment device. In someembodiments, the user equipment device send its user equipmentcapability information to the wireless base station to which it hasattached or connected during the connection process. In someembodiments, the user equipment device sends its user equipmentcapability information to the wireless base station in response to arequest for user equipment capability information from the wireless basestation. The user equipment category information in some embodimentsdefines the category that the user equipment device belongs to. Thewireless base station then derives the user equipment capabilities ofthe user equipment device from the user equipment category reported orsent to the wireless base station from the user equipment device. Insome embodiments step 1058 includes one or more sub-steps 1060 and 1066.

In sub-step 1060, each of the user equipment devices of the first set ofuser equipment devices transmits user equipment capability informationto the first wireless base station. The user equipment capabilityinformation includes one or more of the following: user equipmentcategory, user equipment device type, user equipment power requirement,dominant type of traffic consumed by the user equipment device, hardwarecapability, software capability, throughput capability, and latencyrequirement. In some embodiments sub-step 1060 includes one or moresub-steps 1062 and 1064.

In sub-step 1062, the first user equipment device transmits userequipment capability information describing the capabilities and/orcharacteristics of the first user equipment device to the first wirelessbase station. In sub-step 1064, the second user equipment devicetransmits user equipment capability information describing thecapabilities and/or characteristics of the first user equipment deviceto the first wireless base station.

In sub-step 1066, each of the user equipment devices of the second setof user equipment devices transmits user equipment capabilityinformation to the second wireless base station. The user equipmentcapability information includes one or more of the following: userequipment category, user equipment device type, user equipment powerrequirement, dominant type of traffic consumed by the user equipmentdevice, hardware capability, software capability, throughput capability,and latency requirement. In some embodiments sub-step 1066 includes oneor more sub-steps 1068 and 1070.

In sub-step 1068, the third user equipment device transmits userequipment capability information describing the capabilities and/orcharacteristics of the third user equipment device to the secondwireless base station. In sub-step 1070, the fourth user equipmentdevice transmits user equipment capability information describing thecapabilities and/or characteristics of the fourth user equipment deviceto the second wireless base station.

Operation proceeds from step 1058 via connection node D 1072 to step1074 shown on FIG. 10E. In step 1074, each of the one or more wirelessbase stations receives from the user equipment devices which attachand/or connect to it the transmitted user equipment capabilityinformation. In some embodiments, step 1074 includes one or moresub-steps 1076 and 1082.

In sub-step 1076, the first wireless base station receives from each ofthe user equipment devices of the first set of user equipment devicesthe transmitted user equipment capability information. Sub-step 1076 insome embodiments includes one or more sub-steps 1078 and 1080. Insub-step 1078, the first wireless base station receives the userequipment capability information transmitted by the first user equipmentdevice to the first wireless base station. In sub-step 1080, the firstwireless base station receives the user equipment capability informationtransmitted by the second user equipment device to the first wirelessbase station.

In sub-step 1082, the second wireless base station receives from each ofthe user equipment devices of the second set of user equipment devicesthe transmitted user equipment capability information. Sub-step 1082 insome embodiments includes one or more sub-steps 1084 and 1086. Insub-step 1084, the second wireless base station receives the userequipment capability information transmitted by the third user equipmentdevice to the second wireless base station. In sub-step 1086, the secondwireless base station receives the user equipment capability informationtransmitted by the fourth user equipment device to the second wirelessbase station.

Operation proceeds from step 1074 via connection node E 1088 to step1090 shown on FIG. 10F. In step 1090, each of the one or more wirelessbase stations generates a user equipment capability score for each ofthe user equipment devices attached and/or connected to the particularwireless base station base station. The user equipment capability scorefor a user equipment device is generated based on the user equipmentcapability information received from the user equipment device by thewireless base station. In some embodiments, step 1090 includes one ormore sub-steps 1092, 1094, 1096, and 1102.

In sub-step 1092, for each of a user equipment device's individualcapabilities the wireless base station assigns a score, e.g., anumerical value.

In sub-step 1094, the wireless base station generates a user equipmentdevice's user equipment capability score by weighting each of theindividual capabilities scores for the user equipment device and thensumming up the weighted scores. The weights are numerical valuesrepresenting the importance of the individual user equipment devicecapability.

In sub-step 1096, the first wireless base station generates a userequipment capability score for each of the first set of user equipmentdevices. The user capability score fore ach of the user equipmentdevices of the first set of user equipment devices is generated based onthe received user equipment capability information for the userequipment device for which the user equipment score is generated. Insome embodiments, sub-step 1096 includes one or more sub-steps 1098 and1100. In sub-step 1098, the first wireless base station generates afirst user equipment capability score for the first user equipmentdevice based on the user equipment capabilities received from the firstuser equipment device. In sub-step 1100, the first wireless base stationgenerates a second user equipment capability score for the second userequipment device based on the user equipment capabilities received fromthe second user equipment device.

In sub-step 1102, the second wireless base station generates a userequipment capability score for each of the second set of user equipmentdevices. The user capability score fore ach of the user equipmentdevices of the second set of user equipment devices is generated basedon the received user equipment capability information for the userequipment device for which the user equipment score is generated. Insome embodiments, sub-step 1102 includes one or more sub-steps 1104 and1106. In sub-step 1104, the second wireless base station generates athird user equipment capability score for the third user equipmentdevice based on the user equipment capabilities received from the thirduser equipment device. In sub-step 1106, the second wireless basestation generates a fourth user equipment capability score for thefourth user equipment device based on the user equipment capabilitiesreceived from the fourth user equipment device.

Operation proceeds from step 1106 via connection node F 1108 to step1110 shown on FIG. 10G. In step 1110, each of the one or more wirelessbase stations ranks each of the user equipment devices attached and/orconnected to the wireless base station based on the user equipmentcapability score generated for the user equipment device. Operationproceeds from step 1110 to step 1120.

In step 1120, each of the one or more wireless base stations performsbandwidth partitioning or segmenting of the spectrum available for itsuse by partitioning or segmenting the spectrum available for its useinto bandwidth parts, e.g., by dividing the available PAL licensebandwidth spectrum into 10 MHz spectrum chunks and dividing theavailable GAA bandwidth spectrum into 20 MHz spectrum chunks. Operationproceeds from step 1120 to step 1125.

In step 1125, each of the one or more wireless base stations ranks thespectrum available for use by the one or more wireless base stations ofthe first service provider in the first geographical area. Step 1125 insome embodiments includes sub-step 1127. In sub-step 117, each of theone or more wireless base stations ranks the generated bandwidth parts,e.g., based on one or more of the following: spectrum type (PAL vs.GAA), number of user equipment devices assigned or allocated to thebandwidth part by the wireless base station, the number of times the GAAbandwidth part has been granted by the resource allocation managementdevice, and spectrum interference information. PAL spectrum will haveless interference than GAA spectrum and will be ranked higher than GAAspectrum. The PAL 10 MHz spectrum chunks will be ranked by interferenceand number of user equipment devices to which it has been assigned orallocated. The most valuable PAL spectrum chunk which has the highestranking is the one which has the lowest interference and has beenassigned or allocated to the smallest number of user equipment devices.The GAA 20 MHz spectrum chunks may also be ranked based on interferenceand the number of times the GAA spectrum has been assigned or allocated.The GAA spectrum chunks which have been granted the lowest number oftimes receiving the highest ranking.

Operation proceeds from step 1125 to step 1130. In step 1130, each ofthe one or more wireless base stations assigns or allocates bandwidthpart spectrum to each of the user equipment devices attached and/orconnected to the wireless base station based on the user equipmentcapability score generated for the user equipment device. In someembodiments, step 1130 includes sub-step 1132. In sub-step 1132, each ofthe one or more wireless base stations assigns or allocates bandwidthpart spectrum to each of the user equipment devices attached and/orconnected to the wireless base station based on the user equipmentcapability score generated for the user equipment device to optimize theutilization of the available spectrum for the wireless base stationtaking into account the user capabilities of the user equipment devices.

Operation proceeds from step 1130 via connection node G 1150 to step1152 shown on FIG. 10H. In step 1152, each of the one or more wirelessbase stations communicates information to the user equipment devicesattached and/or connected to the wireless base station indicating thespectrum bandwidth part or parts assigned or allocated to the userequipment device for the user equipment device's use in communicatingwith wireless base station. Operation proceeds from step 1152 to step1154.

In step 1154, each of the user equipment devices utilizes bandwidth partspectrum assigned and/or allocated to it by the wireless base station towhich it is attached and/or connected to communicate with the wirelessbase station. The wireless base station similarly uses the bandwidthpart spectrum assigned to a user equipment device attached and/orconnected to the wireless base station to communicate with the userequipment device.

Various implementations and optional features of the method 1000 willnow be discussed.

In some embodiments, the spectrum is scored and/or ranked based onspectrum type and the amount of spectrum in the spectrum bandwidth part.Spectrum type may be licensed (e.g., PAL spectrum type) or unlicensed(GAA spectrum type). Spectrum amount is minimum 10 MHz and increases at10 MHz intervals. If the PAL spectrum bandwidth part is 10 MHz and theGAA spectrum band part is 20 MHz, then the spectrum ratio for PAL willbe 1 and the spectrum ratio for GAA will be 2. Each of the spectrumbandwidth parts is ranked and/or scored using the following weightingformula: W1*spectrum type+W2*spectrum amount ratio. W1 and W2 areweighting factors to make the spectrum value equal. The determine howimportant a particular type of bandwidth is in comparison to anothertype of bandwidth. The spectrum amount ratio defines what amount of afirst type of bandwidth is equal to a second type of bandwidth. In thisexample, the spectrum ratio for GAA is 2 which means 2 times the amountof GAA bandwidth is the equivalent of PAL bandwidth, i.e., 20 MHz of GAAbandwidth is the equivalent of 10 MHz of PAL bandwidth.

As previously discussed, a user equipment device's features and/orcapability information may be, and in many embodiments is, used todetermine what bandwidth part spectrum to allocate to a user equipmentdevice. For example, UE 1 has the following capabilities: highthroughput demand (500 Mbps), low latency requirement (lower than 10msec), latest iOs release of software, 2 CPUs and 1 GPU; UE 2 has thefollowing capabilities: mid throughput demand (100 Mbps), low latencyrequirement (lower than 10 msec), the latest iOS release and 1 CPU.Based on this user capability information a wireless base station willdetermine that UE 1 has higher priority than UE 2. Thesefeatures/capabilities will be used in a weighted sum formula tocalculate the priority of the user equipment devices UE 1 and UE 2. Anexemplary priority weighted sum formula is:Priority=w1*throughput demand+w2*latency+w3*software release+w4(numberof CPUs+number of GPUs)+w5*power requirements+w6*device model+w7*devicetype

-   -   w1, w2, w3, w4, w5, w6, w7 are the weighting factors. The        capabilities which are not numerical values are assigned        numerical values corresponding to their priority, e.g., newer        model have higher priority.

The formula produces a number in the range [1,N] There will be differentintervals in this [0,N] range depending on the service provider. Forexample, if a service provider wants to have 3 intervals then [0, N/3],[N/3+1, 2*N/3], [2*N/3,N]. Each interval results in one grouping.Overall the results is three groups of UEs with each group having adifferent priority level, i.e., three priority levels each prioritylevel corresponding to a grouping into which a UE will be placed.

An example of how the assignments of bandwidth parts are made based onthe spectrum rankings and/or scores and user equipment rankings and/orscores to obtain the optimum or best allocations of spectrum will now bediscussed. Higher rank or scored spectrum is assigned or allocated tohigher rank/score user equipment devices first. For example, if awireless base station has three spectrum bandwidth parts:

-   -   Bandwidth part 1 40 MHz PAL spectrum 1st rank,    -   Bandwidth part 2 40 MHz GAA spectrum 2nd rank,    -   Bandwidth part 3 10 MHz PAL spectrum 3rd rank    -   and    -   UE group 1: 1st rank    -   UE group 2: 2nd rank    -   UE group 3: 3rd rank

UE group 1 is served by bandwidth part 1 spectrum, UE group 2 is servedby bandwidth part 2 spectrum and UE group 3 is served by bandwidth part3 spectrum. In such instances where the number of spectrum bandwidthparts do not match with the number of UE groups various methods may beemployed for allocation of the bandwidth parts to user groups. In suchcases, the allocation of bandwidth parts will still be done by matchinghigh ranked user groups and high ranked bandwidth parts with each other.That is matching the bandwidth part spectrum and user groups based onpriority rankings. Diagram 1500 of FIG. 15 shows an example of six userequipment devices UE A, UE B, UE C, UE D, UE E and UE F which aregrouped into three priority groups 1, 2, and 3 based on user equipmentcapabilities device type, power requirements dominant traffic typeconsumed, hardware equipment release and software release. The valuesfor each of the user equipment capabilities has been normalized. Thegroup rankings are group 1 highest priority, group 2 second highestpriority and group 3 lowest priority.

Row 1516 of table 1500 illustrates labels identifying the informationcontained in each column and is not data. The entries in column 1502 oftable 1500 include user equipment device identifiers for the UEs incommunication with a wireless base station (e.g., a WBS 1, e.g., CBSD 1102). The user equipment device identifiers can be any identifier thatuniquely identifies the user equipment device. Exemplary user equipmentdevice identifiers include International Mobile Subcriber Identity(IMSI) numbers and International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)numbers. The entries in column 1504 of table 1500 include the wirelessbase station determined priority group rank for the UEs in communicationwith the wireless base station (e.g., CBSD) identified in the same row.The entries in column 1506 of table 1500 include device type informationfor the UEs in communication with the wireless base station (e.g., CBSD)identified in the same row. The entries in column 1508 of table 1500include power requirement information for the UEs in communication withthe wireless base station (e.g., CBSD) identified in the same row. Theentries in column 1510 of table 1500 include dominant traffic typeconsumed information for the UEs in communication with the wireless basestation (e.g., CBSD) identified in the same row. The entries in column1512 of table 1500 include hardware type information for the UEs incommunication with the wireless base station (e.g., CBSD) identified inthe same row. The entries in column 1514 of table 1500 include softwaretype information for the UEs in communication with the wireless basestation (e.g., CBSD) identified in the same row. The entries in row 1518include information corresponding to user equipment device A. Theentries in row 1520 include information corresponding to user equipmentdevice B. The entries in row 1522 include information corresponding touser equipment device C. The entries in row 1523 include informationcorresponding to user equipment device D. The entries in row 1524include information corresponding to user equipment device E. Theentries in row 1526 include information corresponding to user equipmentdevice F. The device type, power requirements, dominate traffic type,hardware type and software type values included in table 1500 arenumerical weighted values generated based on the user equipmentcapability. For example, a device type of smartphone may be assigned aweighted value of 5 while a device type of sensor device may be assigneda value of 1. The weighted values take into account the importance ofthe feature.

Various exemplary numbered embodiments illustrating different featuresof the present invention will now be discussed.

List of Exemplary Numbered Method Embodiments

Method Embodiment 1. A communications method comprising: receiving userequipment capability information at a first wireless base station from afirst user equipment device; determining, by the first wireless basestation, whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to thefirst user equipment device based on the received user equipmentcapability information; and communicating a first spectrum allocationgrant to the first user equipment device identifying the allocatedspectrum for use by the first user equipment device.

Method Embodiment 2. The communications method of Method Embodiment 1further comprising: prior to determining whether to allocate licensed orunlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device based on thereceived user equipment capability information, receiving first spectrumavailability information at the first wireless base station identifyingthe spectrum available for use by the first wireless base station.

Method Embodiment 3. The communications method of Method Embodiment 2,further comprising: dividing, by the first wireless base station, theidentified spectrum available for use by the first wireless base stationinto a plurality of bandwidth parts, said plurality of bandwidth partsincluding at least one bandwidth part of licensed spectrum and at leastone bandwidth part of unlicensed spectrum.

Method Embodiment 3A. The communications method of Method Embodiment 3,wherein each bandwidth part of said plurality of bandwidth partsidentifies a different contiguous set of resource blocks.

Method Embodiment 3B. The communications method of Method Embodiment 2,wherein the first spectrum availability information includes theidentification of spectrum bandwidth parts available for use by thefirst wireless base station, each of said spectrum bandwidth partsidentifying a contiguous set of resource blocks.

Method Embodiment 3B1. The communications method of Method Embodiment3B, wherein the first spectrum availability information includes both alicensed spectrum bandwidth part and an unlicensed spectrum bandwidthpart.

Method Embodiment 4. The communications method of Method Embodiment 3,wherein the first wireless base station and first user equipment deviceare part of a wireless network which supports bandwidth parts.

Method Embodiment 4A. The communications method of Method Embodiment 4,wherein the first wireless base station is a Citizens Broadband RadioService Device (CBSD) which is part of a Citizen Broadband Radio Service(CBRS) network being operated by a first service provider; and whereinsaid licensed spectrum is Priority Access License (PAL) spectrumlicensed to said first service provider and wherein said unlicensedspectrum is General Authorized Access (GAA) spectrum granted for use bya Spectrum Access System of the CBRS network with which the firstwireless base station registered.

Method Embodiment 5. The communications method of Method Embodiment 4,wherein said determining, by the first wireless base station, whether toallocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipmentdevice based on the received user equipment capability informationfurther includes determining which licensed or unlicensed bandwidth partspectrum is available for use by the first wireless base station toallocate to the first user equipment device based on a first userequipment capability score and a quality score of the licensed andunlicensed bandwidth part spectrum.

Method Embodiment 6. The communications method of Method Embodiment 5,wherein said user equipment capability information includes one or moreof the following: user equipment device type, user equipment devicepower requirement, dominant traffic type consumed by user equipmentdevice, user equipment hardware capability, user equipment softwarecapability, user equipment device throughput capability, and userequipment device latency requirement.

Method Embodiment 6A. The communications method of Method Embodiment 5,wherein said user equipment capability information includes a userequipment device category from which one or more user equipmentcapabilities can be derived.

Method Embodiment 6A1. The communications method of Method Embodiment6A, wherein said one or more user equipment capabilities include one ormore of the following: (i) user equipment device type, (ii) userequipment device power requirements, (iii) user equipment devicehardware capability, (iv) user equipment device software capabilities,(v) dominant traffic type consumed by the user equipment device, (vi)throughput capability of the user equipment device, (vii) latencyrequirements of the user equipment device.

Method Embodiment 6B. The communications method of Method Embodiment 6or 6A1, wherein user equipment device type includes: (i) mobile phonetype, (ii) appliance type (e.g., smart home device—thermostat,refrigerator, washer, dryer, television, security system), vehicle,laptop, tablet, smartphone, and computer.

Method Embodiment 6C. The communications method of Method Embodiment 6B,wherein user equipment device power requirements include a high powerrequirement, a mid-power power requirement, and a low power requirement;and wherein said low power requirement is a power requirement below afirst threshold, said high power requirement is a power requirementabove a second threshold and a mid-power requirement is a powerrequirement equal to or greater than the first threshold and less thanor equal to the second threshold.

Method Embodiment 6D. The communications method of Method Embodiment 6C,wherein user equipment device hardware capability includes one or moreof the following capabilities: (i) single CPU hardware device, (ii)multi-core CPU hardware device, (iii) single Digital Signal Processingdevice, (iv) multi-core Digital Signal Processing device, (v) singleGraphics Processing Unit device, and (vi) multi-core Graphics ProcessingUnit device, (vii) device hardware release or version.

Method Embodiment 6E. The communications method of Method Embodiment 6D,wherein user equipment software capability includes one or more of thefollowing: software release or version, type of operating system (e.g.,iOS, android, release and/or version of device's operating system.

Method Embodiment 6F. The communications method of Method Embodiment 6E,wherein user equipment throughput capability includes: high throughputdemand, mid-throughput demand, and low throughput demand; and whereinsaid low throughput demand is a throughput demand below a firstthroughput threshold, said high throughput demand is a throughput demandabove a second throughput threshold and a mid-throughput demand is athroughput demand equal to or greater than the first throughputthreshold and less than or equal to the second throughput threshold.

Method Embodiment 6G. The communications method of Method Embodiment 6F,wherein user equipment latency requirement capability includes a set oflatency requirements defined by a set of thresholds which categorizevery strict latency requirement devices, strict latency requirementdevices, normal latency requirement devices, low latency requirementdevices.

Method Embodiment 7. The communications method of Method Embodiment 5,further comprising: generating, by the first wireless base station, thefirst user equipment capability score based on the user equipmentcapability information received from the first user equipment device.

Method Embodiment 7A. The communications method of Method Embodiment 7,wherein the first user equipment capability score is a weighted factorsum of values assigned to each of the first user equipment devicecapabilities included in the user equipment capability information.

Method Embodiment 7B. The communications method of Method Embodiment 7A,wherein generating the first user equipment capability score based onthe user equipment capability information received from the first userequipment device includes performing the following summation: W1 userequipment capability 1+W2 user equipment capability 2+W3 user equipmentcapability 3+W4 user equipment capability 4; wherein user equipmentcapability 1 is a numerical value assigned to the first user equipmentcapability included in the user equipment capability informationreceived from the first user equipment device and wherein W1 is anumerical value weighting factor assigned for the first user equipmentcapability; wherein user equipment capability 2 is a numerical valueassigned to the second user equipment capability included in the userequipment capability information received from the first user equipmentdevice and wherein W2 is a numerical value weighting factor assigned forthe second user equipment capability; wherein user equipment capability3 is a numerical value assigned to the third user equipment capabilityincluded in the user equipment capability information received from thefirst user equipment device and wherein W3 is a numerical valueweighting factor assigned for the third user equipment capability;wherein user equipment capability 4 is a numerical value assigned to thefourth user equipment capability included in the user equipmentcapability information received from the first user equipment device andwherein W4 is a numerical value weighting factor assigned for the fourthuser equipment capability; and wherein the user equipment capabilityinformation includes at least four user equipment device capabilities.

Method Embodiment 8. The communications method of Method Embodiment 7,further comprising: generating, by the wireless base station, a qualityscore of the licensed and unlicensed spectrum bandwidth parts based on abandwidth part's spectrum type, number of user equipment devicesallocated to the bandwidth part by the first wireless base station, andspectrum interference information for the bandwidth part spectrum.

Method Embodiment 8A. The communications method of Method Embodiment 8,wherein the quality score of the licensed and unlicensed bandwidth partsis further based on the number of times that a spectrum bandwidth parthas been granted to a base station for use in a geographical area inwhich the first wireless base station is operating (e.g., by a SASdevice (PAL licenses are not granted by SAS devices and are thereforemore valuable than GAA granted spectrum as they have less interferencedue to less base stations using the spectrum, the second most valuableare GAA spectrum that have the lowest number of grants to wireless basestations as that indicates there are less base stations using thespectrum and therefore less interference.

Method Embodiment 9. The communications method of Method Embodiment 8,further comprising: receiving, at the first wireless base station,spectrum interference information for the spectrum available for use bythe first wireless base station.

Method Embodiment 10. The communications method of Method Embodiment 1,further comprising: prior to communicating the first spectrum allocationgrant to the first user equipment device identifying the allocatedspectrum for use by the first user equipment device, allocatingbandwidth part spectrum for use by the first user equipment device basedon rankings of available spectrum, said available spectrum having beensegmented into separate bandwidth parts of contiguous resource blocksand the ranking of the first user equipment device based on the userequipment capability information, and sending bandwidth partconfiguration information to the user equipment device.

Method Embodiment 10A. The communications method of Method Embodiment10, wherein said allocating bandwidth part spectrum for use by the firstuser equipment device based on rankings of available spectrum which hasbeen segmented into separate bandwidth parts of contiguous resourceblocks and the user equipment capability information received includes:matching user equipment capability information for the first userequipment device to a bandwidth part spectrum based on the ranking ofthe bandwidth part spectrum.

Method Embodiment 10B. The communications method of Method Embodiment10, wherein said ranking of said bandwidth part spectrum is based onspectrum type of bandwidth part, amount of spectrum included in thebandwidth part, number of user equipment devices to which the bandwidthpart has been allocated by the wireless base station, spectruminterference information for the bandwidth part.

Method Embodiment 10C. The communications method of Method Embodiment10B, wherein the spectrum type is priority access license bandwidth typeand general authorized access bandwidth type; and wherein bandwidth partspectrum of priority access license bandwidth type is ranked higher thangeneral authorized access bandwidth type.

Method Embodiment 10D. The communications method of Method Embodiment10C, wherein ranking the bandwidth parts of the spectrum available foruse by the first wireless base station includes normalizing differentspectrum bandwidth parts when spectrum bandwidth parts of differentsizes (e.g., 10 MHz PAL spectrum vs. 20 MHz GAA spectrum) are availablefor use.

List of Exemplary Numbered System Embodiments:

System Embodiment 1. A communication system comprising: a wireless basestation including: a memory, and a processor that controls the wirelessbase station to perform the following operations: receiving userequipment capability information from a first user equipment device;determining whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to thefirst user equipment device based on the received user equipmentcapability information; and communicating a first spectrum allocationgrant to the first user equipment device identifying the allocatedspectrum for use by the first user equipment device.

System Embodiment 2. The communication system of System Embodiment 1,wherein said processor further controls the wireless base station toperform the additional operation of: prior to determining whether toallocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipmentdevice based on the received user equipment capability information,receiving first spectrum availability information at the first wirelessbase station identifying the spectrum available for use by the firstwireless base station.

System Embodiment 3. The communications system of System Embodiment 2,wherein the processor further controls the wireless base station toperform the additional operation of: dividing, by the first wirelessbase station, the identified spectrum available for use by the firstwireless base station into a plurality of bandwidth parts, saidplurality of bandwidth parts including at least one bandwidth part oflicensed spectrum and at least one bandwidth part of unlicensedspectrum.

System Embodiment 3A. The communications system of System Embodiment 3,wherein each bandwidth part of said plurality of bandwidth partsidentifies a different contiguous set of resource blocks.

System Embodiment 3B. The communications system of System Embodiment 2,wherein the first spectrum availability information includes theidentification of spectrum bandwidth parts available for use by thefirst wireless base station, each of said spectrum bandwidth partsidentifying a contiguous set of resource blocks.

System Embodiment 3B1. The communications system of System Embodiment3B, wherein the first spectrum availability information includes both alicensed spectrum bandwidth part and an unlicensed spectrum bandwidthpart.

System Embodiment 4. The communications system of System Embodiment 3,wherein the wireless base station is part of a wireless network and thefirst user equipment device which supports bandwidth parts.

System Embodiment 4A. The communications system of System Embodiment 4,wherein the wireless base station is a Citizens Broadband Radio ServiceDevice (CBSD) which is pan of a Citizen Broadband Radio Service (CBRS)network being operated by a first service provider; and wherein saidlicensed spectrum is Priority Access License (PAL) spectrum licensed tosaid first service provider; and wherein said unlicensed spectrum isGeneral Authorized Access (GAA) spectrum granted for use by a SpectrumAccess System of the CBRS network with which the first wireless basestation registered.

System Embodiment 5. The communications system of System Embodiment 4,wherein said determining, by the wireless base station, whether toallocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipmentdevice based on the received user equipment capability informationfurther includes determining which licensed or unlicensed bandwidth partspectrum which is available for use by the wireless base station toallocate to the first user equipment device based on a first userequipment capability score and a quality score of the licensed andunlicensed bandwidth part spectrum.

System Embodiment 6. The communications system of System Embodiment 5,wherein said user equipment capability information includes one or moreof the following: user equipment device type, user equipment devicepower requirement, dominant traffic type consumed by user equipmentdevice, user equipment hardware capability, user equipment softwarecapability, user equipment device throughput capability, and userequipment device latency requirement.

System Embodiment 6A. The communications system of System Embodiment 5,wherein said user equipment capability information includes a userequipment device category from which one or more user equipmentcapabilities can be derived.

System Embodiment 6A1. The communications system of System Embodiment6A, wherein said one or more user equipment capabilities include one ormore of the following: (i) user equipment device type, (ii) userequipment device power requirements, (iii) user equipment devicehardware capability, (iv) user equipment device software capabilities,(v) dominant traffic type consumed by the user equipment device, (vi)throughput capability of the user equipment device, (vii) latencyrequirements of the user equipment device.

System Embodiment 6B. The communications system of System Embodiment 6or 6A1, wherein user equipment device type includes: (i) mobile phonetype, (ii) appliance type (e.g., smart home device—thermostat,refrigerator, washer, dryer, television, security system), vehicle,laptop, tablet, smartphone, and computer.

6C. The communications system of System Embodiment 6B, wherein userequipment device power requirements include a high power requirement, amid-power power requirement, and a low power requirement; and whereinsaid low power requirement is a power requirement below a firstthreshold, said high power requirement is a power requirement above asecond threshold and a mid-power requirement is a power requirementequal to or greater than the first threshold and less than or equal tothe second threshold.

System Embodiment 6D. The communications system of System Embodiment 6C,wherein user equipment device hardware capability includes one or moreof the following capabilities: (i) single CPU hardware device, (ii)multi-core CPU hardware device, (iii) single Digital Signal Processingdevice, (iv) multi-core Digital Signal Processing device, (v) singleGraphics Processing Unit device, and (vi) multi-core Graphics ProcessingUnit device, (vii) device hardware release or version.

System Embodiment 6E. The communications system of System Embodiment 6D,wherein user equipment software capability includes one or more of thefollowing: software release or version, type of operating system (e.g.,iOS, android, release and/or version of device's operating system.

System Embodiment 6F. The communications system of System Embodiment 6E,wherein user equipment throughput capability includes: high throughputdemand, mid-throughput demand, and low throughput demand; and whereinsaid low throughput demand is a throughput demand below a firstthroughput threshold, said high throughput demand is a throughput demandabove a second throughput threshold and a mid-throughput demand is athroughput demand equal to or greater than the first throughputthreshold and less than or equal to the second throughput threshold.

System Embodiment 6G. The communications system of System Embodiment 6F,wherein user equipment latency requirement capability includes a set oflatency requirements defined by a set of thresholds which categorizevery strict latency requirement devices, strict latency requirementdevices, normal latency requirement devices, low latency requirementdevices.

System Embodiment 7. The communications system of System Embodiment 5,wherein the processor further controls the wireless base station toperform the additional operation of: generating the first user equipmentcapability score based on the user equipment capability informationreceived from the first user equipment device.

System Embodiment 7A. The communications system of System Embodiment 7,wherein the first user equipment capability score is a weighted factorsum of values assigned to each of the first user equipment devicecapabilities included in the user equipment capability information.

System Embodiment 7B. The communications method of System Embodiment 7A,wherein generating the first user equipment capability score based onthe user equipment capability information received from the first userequipment device includes performing the following summation: W1 userequipment capability 1+W2 user equipment capability 2+W3 user equipmentcapability 3+W4 user equipment capability 4; wherein user equipmentcapability 1 is a numerical value assigned to the first user equipmentcapability included in the user equipment capability informationreceived from the first user equipment device and wherein W1 is anumerical value weighting factor assigned for the first user equipmentcapability; wherein user equipment capability 2 is a numerical valueassigned to the second user equipment capability included in the userequipment capability information received from the first user equipmentdevice and wherein W2 is a numerical value weighting factor assigned forthe second user equipment capability; wherein user equipment capability3 is a numerical value assigned to the third user equipment capabilityincluded in the user equipment capability information received from thefirst user equipment device and wherein W3 is a numerical valueweighting factor assigned for the third user equipment capability;wherein user equipment capability 4 is a numerical value assigned to thefourth user equipment capability included in the user equipmentcapability information received from the first user equipment device andwherein W4 is a numerical value weighting factor assigned for the fourthuser equipment capability; and wherein the user equipment capabilityinformation includes at least four user equipment device capabilities.

System Embodiment 8. The communications system of System Embodiment 7,wherein said generating, by the wireless base station, a quality scoreof the licensed and unlicensed spectrum bandwidth parts based on abandwidth part's spectrum type, number of user equipment devicesallocated to the bandwidth part by the first wireless base station, andspectrum interference information for the bandwidth part spectrum.

System Embodiment 8A. The communications system of System Embodiment 8,wherein the quality score of the licensed and unlicensed bandwidth partsis further based on the number of times that a spectrum bandwidth parthas been granted to a base station for use in a geographical area inwhich the first wireless base station is operating (e.g., by a SASdevice (PAL licenses are not granted by SAS devices and are thereforemore valuable than GAA granted spectrum as they have less interferencedue to less base stations using the spectrum, the second most valuableare GAA spectrum that have the lowest number of grants to wireless basestations as that indicates there are less base stations using thespectrum and therefore less interference.

System Embodiment 9. The communications system of System Embodiment 8,wherein the processor further controls the wireless base station toperform the additional operation of: receiving, at the first wirelessbase station, spectrum interference information for the spectrumavailable for use by the first wireless base station.

System Embodiment 10. The communications system of System Embodiment 1,wherein the processor further controls the wireless base station toperform the operations of: prior to communicating the first spectrumallocation grant to the first user equipment device identifying theallocated spectrum for use by the first user equipment device,allocating bandwidth part spectrum for use by the first user equipmentdevice based on rankings of available spectrum, said available spectrumhaving been segmented into separate bandwidth parts of contiguousresource blocks and the ranking of the first user equipment device basedon the user equipment capability information, and sending bandwidth partconfiguration information to the user equipment device.

System Embodiment 10A. The communications method of System Embodiment10, wherein said allocating bandwidth part spectrum for use by the firstuser equipment device based on rankings of available spectrum which hasbeen segmented into separate bandwidth parts of contiguous resourceblocks and the user equipment capability information received includes:matching user equipment capability information for the first userequipment device to a bandwidth part spectrum based on the ranking ofthe bandwidth part spectrum.

System Embodiment 10B. The communications method of System Embodiment10, wherein said ranking of said bandwidth part spectrum is based onspectrum type of bandwidth part, amount of spectrum included in thebandwidth part, number of user equipment devices to which the bandwidthpart has been allocated by the wireless base station, spectruminterference information for the bandwidth part.

System Embodiment 10C. The communications method of System Embodiment10B, wherein the spectrum type is priority access license bandwidth typeand general authorized access bandwidth type; and wherein bandwidth partspectrum of priority access license bandwidth type is ranked higher thangeneral authorized access bandwidth type.

System Embodiment 10D. The communications method of System Embodiment10C, wherein ranking the bandwidth parts of the spectrum available foruse by the first wireless base station includes normalizing differentspectrum bandwidth parts when spectrum bandwidth parts of differentsizes (e.g., 10 MHz PAL spectrum vs. 20 MHz GAA spectrum) are availablefor use.

List of Exemplary Numbered Non-Transitory Computer Readable MediumEmbodiments

Non-transitory Computer Readable Medium Embodiment 1. A non-transitorycomputer readable medium including a first set of computer executableinstructions which when executed by a processor of a wireless basestation cause the wireless base station to perform the steps of:receiving user equipment capability information from a first userequipment device; determining whether to allocate licensed or unlicensedspectrum to the first user equipment device based on the received userequipment capability information; and communicating a first spectrumallocation grant to the first user equipment device identifying theallocated spectrum for use by the first user equipment device.

Non-transitory Computer Readable Medium Embodiment 2. The non-transitorycomputer readable medium of Non-transitory Computer Readable MediumEmbodiment 1, wherein said first set of computer executable instructionswhich when executed by the processor of the wireless base stationfurther cause the wireless base station to perform the additional stepof: prior to determining whether to allocate licensed or unlicensedspectrum to the first user equipment device based on the received userequipment capability information, receiving first spectrum availabilityinformation at the first wireless base station identifying the spectrumavailable for use by the first wireless base station.

Non-transitory Computer Readable Medium Embodiment 3. The non-transitorycomputer readable medium of Non-transitory Computer Readable MediumEmbodiment 2, wherein said first set of computer executable instructionswhich when executed by the processor of the wireless base stationfurther cause the wireless base station to perform the additional stepof: dividing, by the first wireless base station, the identifiedspectrum available for use by the first wireless base station into aplurality of bandwidth parts, said plurality of bandwidth partsincluding at least one bandwidth part of licensed spectrum and at leastone bandwidth part of unlicensed spectrum.

Non-transitory Computer Readable Medium Embodiment 3A. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of Non-transitory ComputerReadable Medium Embodiment 3, wherein each bandwidth part of saidplurality of bandwidth parts identifies a different contiguous set ofresource blocks.

Non-transitory Computer Readable Medium Embodiment 3B. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of Non-transitory ComputerReadable Medium Embodiment 2, wherein the first spectrum availabilityinformation includes the identification of spectrum bandwidth partsavailable for use by the first wireless base station, each of saidspectrum bandwidth parts identifying a contiguous set of resourceblocks.

Non-transitory Computer Readable Medium Embodiment 3B1. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of Non-transitory ComputerReadable Medium Embodiment 3B, wherein the first spectrum availabilityinformation includes both a licensed spectrum bandwidth part and anunlicensed spectrum bandwidth part.

Non-transitory Computer Readable Medium Embodiment 4. The non-transitorycomputer readable medium of Non-transitory Computer Readable MediumEmbodiment 3, wherein the wireless base station is part of a wirelessnetwork and the first user equipment device which supports bandwidthparts.

Non-transitory Computer Readable Medium Embodiment 4A. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of Non-transitory ComputerReadable Medium Embodiment 4, wherein the wireless base station is aCitizens Broadband Radio Service Device (CBSD) which is part of aCitizen Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) network being operated by a firstservice provider; and wherein said licensed spectrum is Priority AccessLicense (PAL) spectrum licensed to said first service provider andwherein said unlicensed spectrum is General Authorized Access (GAA)spectrum granted for use by a Spectrum Access System of the CBRS networkwith which the first wireless base station registered.

Non-transitory Computer Readable Medium Embodiment 5. The non-transitorycomputer readable medium of Non-transitory Computer Readable MediumEmbodiment 4, wherein said determining, by the wireless base station,whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first userequipment device based on the received user equipment capabilityinformation further includes determining which licensed or unlicensedbandwidth part spectrum which is available for use by the wireless basestation to allocate to the first user equipment device based on a firstuser equipment capability score and a quality score of the licensed andunlicensed bandwidth part spectrum.

Non-transitory Computer Readable Medium Embodiment 6. The non-transitorycomputer readable medium of Non-transitory Computer Readable MediumEmbodiment 5, wherein said user equipment capability informationincludes one or more of the following: user equipment device type, userequipment device power requirement, dominant traffic type consumed byuser equipment device, user equipment hardware capability, userequipment software capability, user equipment device throughputcapability, and user equipment device latency requirement.

Non-transitory Computer Readable Medium Embodiment 6A. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of Non-transitory ComputerReadable Medium Embodiment 5, wherein said user equipment capabilityinformation includes a user equipment device category from which one ormore user equipment capabilities can be derived.

Non-transitory Computer Readable Medium Embodiment 6A1. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of Non-transitory ComputerReadable Medium Embodiment 6A, wherein said one or more user equipmentcapabilities include one or more of the following: (i) user equipmentdevice type, (ii) user equipment device power requirements, (iii) userequipment device hardware capability, (iv) user equipment devicesoftware capabilities, (v) dominant traffic type consumed by the userequipment device, (vi) throughput capability of the user equipmentdevice, (vii) latency requirements of the user equipment device.

The techniques of various embodiments may be implemented using software,hardware and/or a combination of software and hardware. Variousembodiments are directed to apparatus, e.g., wireless base stations,wireless devices, mobile terminals, sensors, vehicles, user equipment,terminal, gNBs, CBSDs, CBRS tower base stations, smart devices,vehicles, user equipment devices, user devices, computers, smartphones,Spectrum Access Systems, Resource Allocation Management Devices, PolicyControl Function nodes/devices, Session Management Functionnodes/devices, subscriber devices, servers, nodes and/or elements.Various embodiments are also directed to methods, e.g., method ofcontrolling and/or operating wireless base stations, wireless devices,mobile terminals, sensors, vehicles, user equipment, terminal, gNBs,CBSDs, CBRS tower base stations, smart devices, vehicles, user equipmentdevices, user devices, computers, smartphones, Spectrum Access Systems,Resource Allocation Management Devices, Policy Control Functionnodes/devices, Session Management Function nodes/devices, subscriberdevices, servers, nodes and/or elements. Various embodiments are alsodirected to machine, e.g., computer, readable medium, e.g., ROM, RAM,CDs, hard discs, etc., which include machine readable instructions forcontrolling a machine to implement one or more steps of a method. Thecomputer readable medium is, e.g., non-transitory computer readablemedium.

It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in theprocesses and methods disclosed is an example of exemplary approaches.Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific orderor hierarchy of steps in the processes and methods may be rearrangedwhile remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. Theaccompanying method claims present elements of the various steps in asample order, and are not meant to be limited to the specific order orhierarchy presented. In some embodiments, one or more processors areused to carry out one or more steps of the each of the describedmethods.

In various embodiments each of the steps or elements of a method areimplemented using one or more processors. In some embodiments, each ofelements or steps are implemented using hardware circuitry.

In various embodiments devices, e.g., wireless base stations, wirelessdevices, mobile terminals, sensors, vehicles, user equipment, terminal,gNBs, CBSDs, CBRS tower base stations, smart devices, vehicles, userequipment devices, user devices, computers, smartphones, Spectrum AccessSystems, Resource Allocation Management Devices, Policy Control Functionnodes/devices, Session Management Function nodes/devices, subscriberdevices, servers, nodes and/or elements described herein are implementedusing one or more components to perform the steps corresponding to oneor more methods, for example, ranking, scoring, generating, segmentingbandwidth, allocating bandwidth parts, establishing connections, messagereception, signal processing, sending, comparing, determining and/ortransmission steps. Thus, in some embodiments various features areimplemented using components or in some embodiments logic such as forexample logic circuits. Such components may be implemented usingsoftware, hardware or a combination of software and hardware. Many ofthe above described methods or method steps can be implemented usingmachine executable instructions, such as software, included in a machinereadable medium such as a memory device, e.g., RAM, floppy disk, etc. tocontrol a machine, e.g., general purpose computer with or withoutadditional hardware, to implement all or portions of the above describedmethods, e.g., in one or more devices, servers, nodes and/or elements.Accordingly, among other things, various embodiments are directed to amachine-readable medium, e.g., a non-transitory computer readablemedium, including machine executable instructions for causing a machine,e.g., processor and associated hardware, to perform one or more of thesteps of the above-described method(s). Some embodiments are directed toa device, e.g., a controller, including a processor configured toimplement one, multiple or all of the steps of one or more methods ofthe invention.

In some embodiments, the processor or processors, e.g., CPUs, of one ormore devices, e.g., wireless base stations, wireless devices, mobileterminals, sensors, vehicles, user equipment, terminal, gNBs, CBSDs,CBRS tower base stations, smart devices, vehicles, user equipmentdevices, user devices, computers, smartphones, Spectrum Access Systems,Resource Allocation Management Devices, Policy Control Functionnodes/devices, Session Management Function nodes/devices, subscriberdevices, servers, nodes and/or elements are configured to perform thesteps of the methods described as being performed by the wireless basestations, wireless devices, mobile terminals, sensors, vehicles, userequipment, terminal, gNBs, CBSDs, CBRS tower base stations, smartdevices, vehicles, user equipment devices, user devices, computers,smartphones, Spectrum Access Systems, Resource Allocation ManagementDevices, Policy Control Function nodes/devices, Session ManagementFunction nodes/devices, subscriber devices, servers, nodes and/orelements. The configuration of the processor may be achieved by usingone or more components, e.g., software components, to control processorconfiguration and/or by including hardware in the processor, e.g.,hardware components, to perform the recited steps and/or controlprocessor configuration. Accordingly, some but not all embodiments aredirected to a device, e.g., wireless base stations, wireless devices,mobile terminals, sensors, vehicles, user equipment, terminal, gNBs,CBSDs, CBRS tower base stations, smart devices, vehicles, user equipmentdevices, user devices, computers, smartphones, Spectrum Access Systems,Resource Allocation Management Devices, Policy Control Functionnodes/devices, Session Management Function nodes/devices, subscriberdevices, servers, nodes and/or elements, with a processor which includesa component corresponding to each of the steps of the various describedmethods performed by the device in which the processor is included. Insome but not all embodiments a device, e.g., wireless base stations,wireless devices, mobile terminals, sensors, vehicles, user equipment,terminal, gNBs, CBSDs, CBRS tower base stations, smart devices,vehicles, user equipment devices, user devices, computers, smartphones,Spectrum Access Systems, Resource Allocation Management Devices, PolicyControl Function nodes/devices, Session Management Functionnodes/devices, subscriber devices, servers, nodes and/or elements,includes a controller corresponding to each of the steps of the variousdescribed methods performed by the device in which the processor isincluded. The components may be implemented using software and/orhardware.

Some embodiments are directed to a computer program product comprising acomputer-readable medium, e.g., a non-transitory computer-readablemedium, comprising code for causing a computer, or multiple computers,to implement various functions, steps, acts and/or operations, e.g., oneor more steps described above. Depending on the embodiment, the computerprogram product can, and sometimes does, include different code for eachstep to be performed. Thus, the computer program product may, andsometimes does, include code for each individual step of a method, e.g.,a method of controlling a device, e.g., wireless base stations, wirelessdevices, mobile terminals, sensors, vehicles, user equipment, terminal,gNBs, CBSDs, CBRS tower base stations, smart devices, vehicles, userequipment devices, user devices, computers, smartphones, Spectrum AccessSystems, Resource Allocation Management Devices, Policy Control Functionnodes/devices, Session Management Function nodes/devices, subscriberdevices, servers, nodes and/or elements. The code may be in the form ofmachine, e.g., computer, executable instructions stored on acomputer-readable medium, e.g., a non-transitory computer-readablemedium, such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory) orother type of storage device. In addition to being directed to acomputer program product, some embodiments are directed to a processorconfigured to implement one or more of the various functions, steps,acts and/or operations of one or more methods described above.Accordingly, some embodiments are directed to a processor, e.g., CPU,configured to implement some or all of the steps of the methodsdescribed herein. The processor may be for use in, e.g., acommunications device such as a wireless base stations, wirelessdevices, mobile terminals, sensors, vehicles, user equipment, terminal,gNBs, CBSDs, CBRS tower base stations, smart devices, vehicles, userequipment devices, user devices, computers, smartphones, Spectrum AccessSystems, Resource Allocation Management Devices, Policy Control Functionnodes/devices, Session Management Function nodes/devices, subscriberdevices, servers, nodes and/or elements or other device described in thepresent application.

Numerous additional variations on the methods and apparatus of thevarious embodiments described above will be apparent to those skilled inthe art in view of the above description. Such variations are to beconsidered within the scope. Numerous additional embodiments, within thescope of the present invention, will be apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art in view of the above description and the claims whichfollow. Such variations are to be considered within the scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A communications method comprising: dividing, bya first wireless base station, spectrum identified as available for useby the first wireless base station into a plurality of bandwidth parts,said plurality of bandwidth parts including at least one bandwidth partof licensed spectrum and at least one bandwidth part of unlicensedspectrum; receiving user equipment capability information at the firstwireless base station from a first user equipment device; determining,by the first wireless base station, whether to allocate licensed orunlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device based on thereceived user equipment capability information; communicating a firstspectrum allocation grant to the first user equipment device identifyingthe allocated spectrum for use by the first user equipment device;wherein the first wireless base station and first user equipment deviceare part of a wireless network which supports bandwidth parts; andwherein said determining, by the first wireless base station, whether toallocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipmentdevice based on the received user equipment capability informationfurther includes: determining which licensed or unlicensed bandwidthpart spectrum is available for use by the first wireless base station toallocate to the first user equipment device based on a first userequipment capability score and quality scores for the licensed andunlicensed spectrum bandwidth parts.
 2. The communications method ofclaim 1, further comprising: prior to determining whether to allocatelicensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device basedon the received user equipment capability information, receiving, at thefirst wireless base station, first spectrum availability informationidentifying the spectrum available for use by the first wireless basestation.
 3. The communications method of claim 1, wherein said userequipment capability information includes one or more of the following:user equipment device type information, user equipment device powerrequirement information, dominant traffic type consumed by userequipment device information, user equipment hardware capabilityinformation, user equipment software capability information, userequipment device throughput capability information, and user equipmentdevice latency requirement information.
 4. The communications method ofclaim 1, further comprising: generating, by the first wireless basestation, the first user equipment capability score based on the userequipment capability information received from the first user equipmentdevice.
 5. The communications method of claim 4, further comprising:generating, by the first wireless base station, a quality score for eachof the licensed and unlicensed spectrum bandwidth parts based on abandwidth part's spectrum type, number of user equipment devicesallocated to the bandwidth part by the first wireless base station, andspectrum interference information for the bandwidth part spectrum. 6.The communications method of claim 5, further comprising: receiving, atthe first wireless base station, spectrum interference information forthe spectrum available for use by the first wireless base station.
 7. Acommunications method comprising: receiving user equipment capabilityinformation at a first wireless base station from a first user equipmentdevice; determining, by the first wireless base station, whether toallocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipmentdevice based on the received user equipment capability information;communicating a first spectrum allocation grant to the first userequipment device identifying the allocated spectrum for use by the firstuser equipment device; prior to communicating the first spectrumallocation grant to the first user equipment device identifying theallocated spectrum for use by the first user equipment device:allocating bandwidth part spectrum for use by the first user equipmentdevice based on: (i) rankings of available spectrum, said availablespectrum having been segmented into separate bandwidth parts ofcontiguous resource blocks, and (ii) a ranking of the first userequipment device based on the user equipment capability information, andsending bandwidth part configuration information to the first userequipment device; and wherein said determining, by the first wirelessbase station, whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to thefirst user equipment device based on the received user equipmentcapability information further includes: determining which licensed orunlicensed bandwidth part spectrum is available for use by the firstwireless base station to allocate to the first user equipment devicebased on a first user equipment capability score and quality scores forthe licensed and unlicensed spectrum bandwidth parts.
 8. Acommunications system comprising: a first wireless base stationincluding: a memory, and a processor that controls the first wirelessbase station to perform the following operations: dividing spectrumidentified as available for use by the first wireless base station intoa plurality of bandwidth parts, said plurality of bandwidth partsincluding at least one bandwidth part of licensed spectrum and at leastone bandwidth part of unlicensed spectrum; receiving user equipmentcapability information from a first user equipment device; determiningwhether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first userequipment device based on the received user equipment capabilityinformation; communicating a first spectrum allocation grant to thefirst user equipment device, said first spectrum allocation grantidentifying the allocated spectrum for use by the first user equipmentdevice; wherein the first wireless base station and the first userequipment device are part of a wireless network which supports bandwidthparts; and wherein said determining whether to allocate licensed orunlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device based on thereceived user equipment capability information further includes:determining which licensed or unlicensed bandwidth part spectrum, whichis available for use by the first wireless base station, to allocate tothe first user equipment device based on a first user equipmentcapability score and quality scores for the licensed and unlicensedspectrum bandwidth parts.
 9. The communications system of claim 8,wherein said processor further controls the first wireless base stationto perform the additional operation of: prior to determining whether toallocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipmentdevice based on the received user equipment capability information,receiving, at the first wireless base station, first spectrumavailability information identifying the spectrum available for use bythe first wireless base station.
 10. The communications system of claim8, wherein said user equipment capability information includes one ormore of the following: user equipment device type information, userequipment device power requirement information, dominant traffic typeconsumed by user equipment device information, user equipment hardwarecapability information, user equipment software capability information,user equipment device throughput capability information, and userequipment device latency requirement information.
 11. The communicationssystem of claim 8, wherein the processor further controls the firstwireless base station to perform the additional operation of: generatingthe first user equipment capability score based on the user equipmentcapability information received from the first user equipment device.12. The communications system of claim 11, wherein the processor furthercontrols the first wireless base station to perform the additionaloperation of: generating, by the first wireless base station, a qualityscore for each of the licensed and unlicensed spectrum bandwidth partsbased on a bandwidth part's spectrum type, number of user equipmentdevices allocated to the bandwidth part by the first wireless basestation, and spectrum interference information for the bandwidth partspectrum.
 13. The communications system of claim 12, wherein theprocessor further controls the first wireless base station to performthe additional operation of: receiving, at the first wireless basestation, spectrum interference information for the spectrum availablefor use by the first wireless base station.
 14. A non-transitorycomputer readable medium including a first set of computer executableinstructions which when executed by a processor of a wireless basestation cause the wireless base station to perform the steps of:dividing spectrum identified as available for use by the wireless basestation into a plurality of bandwidth parts, said plurality of bandwidthparts including at least one bandwidth part of licensed spectrum and atleast one bandwidth part of unlicensed spectrum; receiving userequipment capability information from a first user equipment device;determining whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to thefirst user equipment device based on the received user equipmentcapability information; communicating a first spectrum allocation grantto the first user equipment device, said first spectrum allocation grantidentifying the allocated spectrum for use by the first user equipmentdevice; wherein the wireless base station and the first user equipmentdevice are part of a wireless network which supports bandwidth parts;and wherein said determining whether to allocate licensed or unlicensedspectrum to the first user equipment device based on the received userequipment capability information further includes: determining whichlicensed or unlicensed bandwidth part spectrum is available for use bythe wireless base station to allocate to the first user equipment devicebased on a first user equipment capability score and quality scores ofthe licensed and unlicensed spectrum bandwidth parts.
 15. Acommunication system comprising: a first wireless base stationincluding: a memory, and a processor that controls the first wirelessbase station to perform the following operations: receiving userequipment capability information at the first wireless base station froma first user equipment device; determining, by the first wireless basestation, whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to thefirst user equipment device based on the received user equipmentcapability information; communicating a first spectrum allocation grantto the first user equipment device, said first spectrum allocation grantidentifying the allocated spectrum for use by the first user equipmentdevice; prior to communicating the first spectrum allocation grant tothe first user equipment device identifying the allocated spectrum foruse by the first user equipment device: allocating bandwidth partspectrum for use by the first user equipment device based on: (i)rankings of available spectrum, said available spectrum having beensegmented into separate bandwidth parts of contiguous resource blocks,and (ii) a ranking of the first user equipment device based on the userequipment capability information, and sending bandwidth partconfiguration information to the user equipment device; and wherein saiddetermining, by the first wireless base station, whether to allocatelicensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device basedon the received user equipment capability information further includes:determining which licensed or unlicensed bandwidth part spectrum whichis available for use by the first wireless base station to allocate tothe first user equipment device based on a first user equipmentcapability score and quality scores of the licensed and unlicensedspectrum bandwidth parts.
 16. The communications method of claim 2,wherein the first spectrum availability information includes informationidentifying spectrum bandwidth parts available for use by the firstwireless base station, each of said spectrum bandwidth parts identifyinga contiguous set of resource blocks.
 17. The communications method ofclaim 1, wherein the wireless network is a Citizens Broadband RadioService (CBRS) network being operated by a first service provider;wherein the first wireless base station is a Citizens Broadband RadioService Device (CBSD); wherein said licensed spectrum is Priority AccessLicense (PAL) spectrum licensed to said first service provider; andwherein said unlicensed spectrum is General Authorized Access (GAA)spectrum granted for use by a Spectrum Access System of the CBRS networkwith which the first wireless base station registered.
 18. Thecommunications method of claim 7, wherein said rankings of availablespectrum include: rankings of said separate spectrum bandwidth parts ofcontiguous resource blocks based on spectrum type of bandwidth part,amount of spectrum included in the bandwidth part, number of userequipment devices to which the bandwidth part has been allocated by thefirst wireless base station, and spectrum interference information forthe bandwidth part.
 19. The communications method of claim 7, furthercomprising: generating, by the first wireless base station, the firstuser equipment capability score based on the user equipment capabilityinformation received from the first user equipment device; andgenerating, by the first wireless base station, a quality score for eachof the licensed and unlicensed spectrum bandwidth parts based on abandwidth part's spectrum type, number of user equipment devicesallocated to the bandwidth part by the first wireless base station, andspectrum interference information for the bandwidth part spectrum. 20.The communications system of claim 15, wherein the processor furthercontrols the first wireless base station to perform the additionaloperations of: generating the first user equipment capability scorebased on the user equipment capability information received from thefirst user equipment device; and generating a quality score for each ofthe licensed and unlicensed spectrum bandwidth parts based on abandwidth part's spectrum type, number of user equipment devicesallocated to the bandwidth part by the first wireless base station, andspectrum interference information for the bandwidth part spectrum.